;     -..-; 

N 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF. CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


\ 


y 


THE     G  UN-  BOA  T    S E  R IE  S . 


FRANK 


ON    A    GUN-BOAT 


HARRY  CASTLEMON, 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SERIES,"  "THE  GO-AHEAD 

SKKIttS,"    HTC. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PORTER    &    COAXES. 

CINCINNATI,  O.  : 
R.  W.  CARROLL  &  CO. 


POPULAR  JUVENILE  BOOKS. 

BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON. 


THE   GUN-BOAT  SERIES. 
6  volumes,  in  a  neat  box, $7.50 

Each  volume  handsomely  Illustrated. 

FRANK,  THE  YOUNG  NATURALIST,    .     .     .  $1.25 

FRANK  IN  THE  WOODS, 1.25 

FRANK  ON  THE  PRAIRIE, 1.25 

FRANK  ON  A  GUN-BOAT, .    1.25 

FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG, 1.25 

FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI,     .    .    1.25 

Sent  by  mail,  on  receipt  of  price,  post-paid. 


THE  GO-AHEAD  SERIES. 

3  volumes,  in  a  neat  box, $4.50 

Each  volume  handsomely  Illustrated. 

TOM  NEWCOMBE, $1.50 

Go  AHEAD, 1.50 

No  Moss, 1.50 

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THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SERIES. 

3  volumes,  in  a  neat  box, $3.75 

Each  volume  handsomely  illustrated. 

FRANK  AMONG  THE  RANCHEROS,  .  .  .  $1.25 
FRANK  AT  DON  CARLOS'  RANCHO,  .  .  .  1.25 
FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS, 1.25 

Sent  by  mail,  on  receipt  of  price,  post-paid. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress?,  in  the  year  1865,  by 

K.  W.  CARHOLL  &  CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  theHJnited  States, 
for  the  Southern  District  of  Ohio! 


ir  n  t  m  t  s . 


CHAPTER   I.                                      PAQI 
IK  THE  NAVY 7 

CHAPTER  II. 
LEARNING  THE  ROPES 17 

CHAPTER  III. 
SQUARING  THE  YARDS 30 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  MIDNIGHT  ALARM 42 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  DISCOMFITED  REBEL 63 

CHAPTER  VI. 
FRANK'S  FIRST  EXPLOIT 64 

CHAPTER  VII. 
ON  A  GUN-BOAT 78 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  STRUGGLE  BETWEEN  THE  LINES 89 

CHAPTER  IX. 
A  UNION  FAMILY 99 

CHAPTER  X. 
A  SPUNKY  REBEL 112 

(V) 


yi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XI.                                     PAH, 
FBANK.  A  PEISONEE 124 

CHAPTER  XII. 
THE  ESCAPE 131 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
THE  FAITHFUL  NEGKO ~ 152 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
CHASED  BY  BLOOD-HOUNDS ICt 

CHAPTER  XV. 
THE  RESCUE ,      ...  178 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
A  FBIEND  IN  NEED 195 

CHAPTER   XVII. 
THE  SCENE  AT  THE  PLANTATION 216 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
ALMOST  BETRAYED ,...  229 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


FRANK  ON  A  GUN-BOAT 


CHAPTER    I. 


,ELL,  Frank,  did  you  bring  home  the 
evening's  paper  ?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Nel 
son,  as  her  son  entered  the  room 
where  she  was  sitting. 

"  Yes,  ma'am.  Here  it  is  ! "  an 
swered  Frank,  producing  it.  "  But 
there  is  no  news  in  it.  The  Army 
of  the  Potomac  has  not  moved  yet.  I  don't  see 
what  makes  them  wait  so  long.  Why  don't 
McClellan  go  to  work  and  thrash  the  rebels?" 

"  You  must  remember  that  the  rebels  have  about 
as  many  men  as  we  have,"  answered  his  mother. 
"  Perhaps,  if  McClellan  should  undertake  to  '  thrash ' 
the  rebels,  as  you  say,  he  would  get  whipped  him 
self."  . 

(7) 


8  FRANK   ON  A    GUN-BOAT. 

"  That  makes  no  difference,"  answered  Frank 
"  If  I  was  in  his'  place,  and  the  rebels  should  whip 
me,  it  wouldn't  do  any  good,  for  I'd  renew  the 
battle  every  day,  as  long  as  I  had  a  man  left." 

It  was  toward  the  close  of  the  first  year  of 
the  war,  during  the  "  masterly  inactivity "  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  For  almost  eight  months 
McClellan  had  been  lying  idle  in  his  encampment, 
holding  in  check  that  splendid  army,  which,  with 
one  blow,  could  have  crushed  out  the  rebellion,  and 
allowing  the  rebels  ample  time  to  encircle  their 
capital  with  fortifications,  before  which  the  blood  of 
loyal  men  was  to  be  poured  out  like  water.  The 
people  of  the  North  were  growing  impatient ;  and 
"  On  to  Richmond ! "  was  the  cry  from  every  part 
of  the  land. 

From  the  time  Fort  Sumter  had  fallen,  Frank 
had  been  deeply  interested  in  what  was  going  on. 
The  insults  which  had  been  heaped  upon  the  flag 
under  which  his  grandfather  had  fought  and  died, 
made  the  blood  boil  in  his  veins,  and  he  often 
wished  that  he  could  enlist  with  the  brave  de 
fenders  of  his  country.  He  grew  more  excited 
each  day,  as  the  struggle  went  on,  and  the  news  of 
a  triumph  or  defeat  would  fire  his  spirit,,  and  he 


IN   THE   NAVY. 

longed  to  be  standing  side  by  side  with  the  soldiers 
of  the  Union,  that  he  might  share  in  their  triumphs, 
or  assist  in  retrieving  their  disasters. 

He  was  left  almost  alone  now,  for  many  of  the 
boys  of  his  acquaintance  had  shouldered  their 
muskets  and  gone  off  with  the  others ;  and  that 
very  day  he  had  met  Harry  Butler,  who  had  en 
listed  as  a  private,  wearing  the  uniform  of  a  lieu 
tenant,  which  he  had  won  by  his  bravery  at  Fort 
Donelson. 

He  had  never  said  one  word  tojiis  mother  about 
enlisting,  for  he  was  an  only  son,  and  he  dreaded 
to  ask  her  permission.  But  that  mother's  quick 
eye  easily  read  what  was  going  on  in  her  son's 
mind.  She  had  Puritan  blood  in  her  veins ;  her 
ancestors  had  fought  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution, 
and  she  had  resolved  that,  if  Frank  wished  to  go, 
she  would  give  her  full  consent.  A  mother's  heart 
alone  can  tell  the  struggle  it  had  cost  her  to  come 
to  this  determination. 

"I've  got  a  letter  from  Archie,  also,"  said 
Frank. 

His  mother  took  it  from  his  hand,  and  read  as 
follows : 


10  FRANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

PORTLAND,  March  18,  1862. 
DEAR  COUSIN: 

I  am  about  to  tell  you  something  which  you  will  cal. 
strange  news.  Father  has  at  last  given  his  consent  to  my 
going  to  war,  provided  you  will  go  too.  He  says  that  if 
I  go,  I  must  have  you  with  me,  to  take  care  of  me,  and 
keep  me  straight.  I  suppose  he  thinks  I  will  never  go  if 
I  am  obliged  to  wait  for  you,  for  he  says  your  mother 
will  not  consent  to  your  going.  You  can  ask  her,  any 
way.  You  know  you  always  wanted  to  have  a  hand  in 
putting  down  this  rebellion. 

If  we  go  at  all,  I  think  the  best  plan  is  to  enter  the 
navy.  It  is  a  much  better  branch  of  the  service  than  the 
army — the  discipline  is  better;  there  are  no  long  marches 
to  endure;  and,  wherever  you  go,  your  house  goes  with 
you. 

Now,  be  sure  and  do  your  best,  for  now  is  our  chance, 
if  ever.  Please  write  immediately,  for  I  am  afraid  father 
will  change  his  mind. 

Yours,  in  haste,  ARCHIBALD  WINTERS. 

When  Mrs.  Nelson  had  read  the  letter,  she 
handed  it  back  to  her  son  without  saying  a  word. 

"  Well,  mother,  what  do  you  think  of  it  ? "  in 
quired  Frank. 

"  The  matter  rests  entirely  with  you,  my  son," 
answered  Mrs.  Nelson,  dropping  her  sewing  into 
her  lap.  "  Do  just  as  you  think  best." 

" Do  you  say  I  may  go?"  inquired  Frank,  joy 
fully. 


IN    THE    NAVY.  13 

"  Certainly.  You  have  my  full  consent  to  go, 
if  you  wish  to." 

"  Oh,  mother,"  exclaimed  Frank,  springing  up 
and  throwing  his  arms  around  her  neck,  "I  wish 
I  had  known,  long  ago,  that  you  were  willing  to 
have  me  go." 

"  Where  are  you  going,  Frank  ?  "  inquired  Julia, 
who  had  a  vague  suspicion  of  what  was  going  on. 

"  I  'm  off  to  the  war,"  answered  her  brother. 
"  I  am  going  into  the  navy  with  Archie." 

"  Oh,  Frank,"  she  exclaimed,  bursting  into  tears, 
"you  must  not  go.  There's  enough  in  the  army 
without  you.  You  will  certainly  get  shot." 

"I'll  never  be  shot  in  the  back,"  said  Frank; 
"  you  may  rely  on  that.  But  you  do  n't  suppose 
that  every  one  who  goes  to  war  gets  shot,  do  you? 
I  may  be  one  of  the  lucky  ones ;  so  do  n't  cry 
any  more." 

But  Julia  could  not  control  her  feelings.  The 
thought  that  her  brother  was  to  be  exposed  to  the 
slightest  danger  was  terrible ;  and  Frank,  seeing 
that  it  would  do  no  good  to  talk  to  her,  left  the 
room,  and  went  into  his  study,  where  he  wrote  to 
Archie,  stating  that  he  would  start  for  Portland 
the  next  day.  He  spent  the  forenoon  in  wander- 


12  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

ing  about  the  house  and  orchard,  taking  a  long  and 
lingering  look  at  each  familiar  object.  He  locked 
the  museum,  and  gave  the  key  to  Julia,  who  was 
close  at  his  side  wherever  he  went.  Even  Brave 
seemed  to  have  an  idea  of  what  was  going  on,  for 
he  followed  his  master  about,  and  would  look  into 
his  face  and  whine,  as  though  he  was  well  aware 
that  they  were  about  to  be  separated. 

Immediately  after  dinner,  the  carriage  which  was 
to  convey  Frank  and  his  baggage  to  the  Julia 
Burton  drew  up  before  the  door.  The  parting 
time  had  come.  "  Good-by,  mother,"  said  Frank, 
as  he  stood  at  the  door,  ready  to  go. 

"  Good-by,  my  son,"  said  Mrs.  Nelson,  strain 
ing  him  to  her  bosom,  and  struggling  hard  to  keep 
back  a  sob.  "We  may  never  see  you  again,  but 
I  hope  I  shall  never  hear  that  you  shrunk  from 
your  duty." 

Frank  could  not  reply — his  breast  was  too  full 
for  utterance:  and  hastily  kissing  his  sister,  and 
shaking  Hannah's  hand,  he  hurried  down  the  walk 
toward  the  gate.  He  had  not  gone  far  before 
Brave  came  bounding  after  him. 

"  Go  back,  old  fellow,"  said  Frank,  caressing  the 
faithful  animal ;  "  you  can't  go  with  me  this  time. 


IN   THE    NAVY.  13 

it  will  be  a  long  while  before  you  and  I  will  go 
any-where  together  again.  Go  back,  sir." 

Brave  understood  his  master  perfectly;  and  he 
turned  and  trotted  toward  the  house,  looking  back 
now  and  then,  and  whining,  as  if  urging  his  master 
to  allow  him  to  go  too.  Frank  did  not  stop  to 
look  back,  but  sprang  into  the  carriage,  and  the 
driver  closed  the  door  after  him,  and  mounted  to 
his  seat  and  drove  off.  He  had  scarcely  time  to 
get  his  baggage  on  board  the  steamer  before  she 
moved  off  into  the  stream.  And  Frank  was  glad 
it  was  so,  for  the  longer  he  remained  in  sight  of 
the  village,  the  harder  grew  the  struggle  to  leave 
it.  But,  at  length,  every  familiar  object  was  left 
behind,  and  being  surrounded  by  new  scenes,  Frank 
gradually  recovered  his  usual  spirits. 

In  two  days  he  arrived  at  Portland,  and  as  he 
was  getting  off  the  cars,  he  was  seized  by  Archie, 
who  had  come  to  the  depot  to  meet  him. 

"I'm  glad  to  see  you,"  said  the  latter;  "it  is 
lucky  that  you  wrote  just  as  you  did,  for  father 
has  said  a  dozen  times  that  I  can't  go.  But  I 
guess  he  will  not  refuse  me,  now  that  you  are 
here." 

"  I  hope  not,"  said  Frank ;  "  we  can  go  as  well 


14  FRANK   ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

as  any  one  else.  If  every  one  was  to  stay  at  horn*., 
we  should  n't  have  any  army  at  all." 

"That's  just  what  I  told  father;  but  he  didn't 
seem  to  see  it.  He  says  there  are  some  TV  ho 
ought  to  go,  for  they  are  of  no  earthly  use  here; 
but  he  thinks  that  boys  like  you  and  me  ought  to 
stay  at  home  until  we  know  enough  to  take  care 
of  ourselves." 

But  Mr.  Winters  did  not  raise  many  objections 
when  he  found  that  Frank  had  obtained  his  moth 
er's  consent;  and,  on  the  next  day  but  one  after 
Frank's  arrival,  he  accompanied  the  boys  on  board 
the  receiving-ship,  where  they  were  speedily  exam 
ined  and  sworn  in.  Each  was  then  supplied  with  a 
bag  and  hammock,  and  two  suits  of  clothes ;  and, 
when  they  were  rigged  out  in  their  blue  shirts  and 
wide  pants,  they  made  fine-looking  sailors.  At 
Mr.  Winters'  request  they  were  granted  permis 
sion  to  remain  on  shore  until  a  draft  of  men  was 
ready  to  be  sent  away.  The  boys  were  allowed  to 
do  pretty  much  as  they  pleased  while  they  re 
mained,  for,  as  they  were  to  leave  so  soon,  Mr. 
Winters  could  not  find  it  in  his  heart  to  raise  any 
objections  to  the  plans  they  proposed  for  their 
amusement.  Besides,  he  knew  that  Archie  was  in 


IN   THE   NAVY.  15 

good  hands,  for  Frank  was  a  boy  of  excellent 
habits,  and  possessed  sufficient  moral  courage  to 
say  no,  when  tempted  to  do  wrong;  and,  as  he 
had  great  influence  over  his  cousin,  Mr.  Winters 
knew  their  conduct  would  be  such  as  he  could 
approve. 

At  length,  one  morning,  when  they  went  on 
board  the  receiving-ship  to  report  as  usual,  they 
were  ordered  to  present  themselves  at  the  depot 
at  two  o'clock  that  afternoon,  with  their  bags  and 
hammocks,  in  readiness  to  take  the  train  for  the 
West.  The  boys  were  a  good  deal  disappointed 
when  they  heard  this,  for  the  idea  of  serving  out 
their  year  on  the  Mississippi  River  was  not  an 
agreeable  one.  They  had  hoped  to  be  ordered  to 
the  coast.  But,  as  Archie  remarked,  it  was  "  too 
late  to  back  out,"  and  they  were  obliged  to  submit. 
When  Archie  came  to  bid  farewell  to  his  parents, 
he  found  it  to  be  a  much  more  difficult  task  than 
he  had  expected.  The  tears  would  come  to  his 
eyes,  in  spite  of  himself,  as  he  embraced  his 
mother;  and,  as  soon  as  he  could  disengage  himself 
from,  her  arms,  he  seized  his  bag  and  hammock, 
and  rushed  out  of  the  house  to  conceal  his  emo 
tion.  When  they  reached  the  depot,  they  found 


16  FRANK   ON  A   GUN-BOAT. 

that  the  draft  to  which  they  belonged  numbered 
nearly  two  hundred  men,  some  of  whom  were  old 
sailors,  while  others,  like  themselves,  were  entirely 
unacquainted  with  the  life  they  were  about  to  lead. 

The  journey  to  Cairo — which  was  then  the  naval 
depot  of  the  Western  rivers — was  a  long  and  tedi 
ous  one.  They  were  treated  with  the  greatest 
kindness  by  the  officers  who  accompanied  them, 
and  at  almost  every  station  the  people  would  flock 
around  the  cars  with  baskets  of  provisions,  which 
were  freely  distributed. 

Early  on  the  fifth  morning  they  reached  their 
destination,  and  were  immediately  marched  on 
board  a  small  steamer  which  lay  alongside  of  the 
naval  wharf-boat,  and  carried  to  the  receiving-ship, 
which  lay  anchored  in  the  middle  of  the  river. 


LEARNING   THE   ROPES.  17 


CHAPTER  II. 


S  they  came  on  board  the  recehing- 
ship  they  were  all  drawn  up  in  a 
line,  the   roll  was    called,    and   they 
were  divided  off  into  messes.     The 
mess  to  which  Frank  and  his  cousin 
belonged  was  called  "  Number  Twenty- 
V(X      five."     As  they  were  about  to  be  dis 
missed,  the  officer  who  had  called  the  roll  said  to 
Archie  : 

"  You  will  be  cook  of  this  mess." 
"  Sir  ?  "  said  Archie,  in  surprise. 
"  You  will  be  cook  of  this  mess,"  repeated  the 
officer,  in  a  louder  tone.     "  But  what  is  the  matter 
with  you  ?     Are  you  hard  of  hearing  ?  " 
"  No,  sir  ;  but  I  can't  cook." 
"  Rever  mind  ;  you  can  try.     You  may  go  be 
low,  lads." 
2 


18  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

The  men  did  as  they  were  ordered,  and  our 
heroes  seated  themselves  on  one  of  the  broadside 
guns,  and  Archie  said  : 

"  I  'm  in  a  nice  fix,  ain't  I  ?  I  do  n't  know  any 
more  about  cooking  than  a  hog  does  about  gun 
powder." 

"I  will  assist  you  all  I  can,"  said  Frank;  "but 
I  wonder  what  we  shall  have  for  dinner?  I  hope 
it  will  be  something  good,  for  I  'm  as  hungry  as  a 
bear." 

At  this  moment  the  whistle  of  the  boatswain's 
mate  sounded  through  the  ship,  and  that  person 
age  passed  them  and  called  out,  in  a  low  voice : 

"  Mess  cook  Number  Twenty-five !  " 

"  He  means  me,  do  n't  he  ?  "  inquired  Archie, 
turning  to  his  cousin. 

"  I  do  n't  know,  I'm  sure.     Ask  him." 

"  Mess  cook  Number  Twenty-five,"  again  shouted 
the  mate. 

"  Here  I  am,"  said  Archie. 

"Well,  you  ought  to  be  somewhere  else,"  said 
the  mate,  sharply.  "  Why  do  n't  you  go  and  draw 
your  rations?" 

"  I  do  n't  know  where  I  should  go,"  answered 
Archie. 


LEARNING    THE    ROPES.  19 

u  Then  fly  around  and  find  out ; "  and  the  mate 
turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  away. 

"  Now,  that 's  provoking,"  exclaimed  Archie. 
'*  Why  could  n't  he  tell  a  fellow  where  to  go  ?  I  '11 
tell  that  officer  that  I  did  n't  ship  for  a  cook ;  I 
shipped  to  fight.  I  wish  I  was  at  home  again." 

But  regrets  were  worse  than  useless,  and  Archie 
began  to  look  around  to  find  some  one  who  could 
tell  him  where  to  go  to  draw  his  rations.  At 
length  he  met  one  of  the  men  who  belonged  to  his 
mess,  whose  name  was  Simpson,  who  told  him  that 
he  must  go  to  the  paymaster's  store-room,  and 
offered  to  show  him  the  way;  and,  as  he  saw  that 
Archie  was  entirely  unacquainted  with  life  on 
shipboard,  Simpson  told  him 'to  come  to  him  when 
ever  he  wanted  any  advice. 

As  Archie  entered  the  store-room,  the  paymas 
ter's  steward,  a  boy  about  his  own  age,  who  was 
serving  out  the  provisions,  after  inquiring  the 
number  of  his  mess,  said : 

"  It 's  lucky  that  you  came  in  just  as  you  did,  for 
I  have  sent  the  master-at-arms  after  you.  If  you 
do  n't  attend  to  your  business  better  than  this,  I 
shall  have  you  put  on  the  black-list  for  a  week  or 


20  FRANK   ON  A   GUN-BOAT. 

Now,  Archie  had  never  been  accustomed  to  be 
ing  "  ordered  about  by  any  boy  of  his  size,"  as  he 
afterward  remarked,  and  he  felt  very  much  like 
making  an  angry  reply.  But  he  knew  it  would 
only  get  him  into  trouble,  and,  choking  down  his 
wrath,  he  answered : 

"  If  any  one  will  tell  me  what  my  duty  is,  I 
shall  be  glad  to  do  it." 

"  You  have  n't  been  in  the  navy  a  great  while, 
have  you  ?  "  inquired  the  steward,  with  a  laugh. 

"  No  ;  this  is  my  first  attempt  at  learning  to  be  a 
sailor." 

"Well,  all  I  have  got  to  say,"  continued  the 
steward,  "  is,  that  you  will  soon  be  sorry  that  you 
ever  made  the  attempt." 

"  I  am  sorry  now,"  said  Archie ;  "  and  if  I  ever 
get  home  again,  you  '11  never  catch  me  in  another 
scrape  like  this.  I  do  n't  like  the  idea  of  having 
everybody  order  me  around,  and  talk  to  me  as 
though  I  was  a  dog." 

"No  reflections,"  said  the  steward  sharply. 
"Better  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  your  head.  But 
now  to  business.  In  the  first  place,  here  are  your 
dishes,"  and  he  handed  ArcMe  a  number  of  tin 
pots  and  plates,  a  large  pan,  and  a  mess-kettle. 


LEARNING   THE    ROPES.  21 

"What  shall  I  do  with  these?"  asked  Archie. 

"Why,  eat  out  of  them,  to  be  sure,"  answered 
the  steward ;  "  what  else  would  you  do  with  them  ? 
I  shall  hold  you  responsible  for  them,"  he  contin 
ued;  "and  if  any  of  them  are  lost,  they  will  be 
charged  to  your  account.  Now  go  and  put  them 
a»vay  in  your  mess-chest,  which  you  will  find  on 
the  berth-deck,  and  then  come  back,  and  I  will  give 
you  your  rations." 

Archie  accordingly  picked  up  his  dishes,  and 
started — he  knew  not  whither,  for  he  had  no 
idea  to  which  part  of  the  vessel  he  should  go  in 
order  to  find  the  berth-deck.  But  he  had  often 
boasted  that  he  would  have  no  difficulty  in  getting 
along  in  the  world  while  he  had  a  tongue  in  his 
head ;  so  he  made  inquiries  of  the  first  man  he  met, 
who  told  him  to  go  up  to  the  captain,  who  was  al 
ways  ready  to  send  the  executive  officer  to  show 
landlubbers  over  the  ship.  If  there  was  any  joke 
in  this,  Archie  was  too  angry  to  notice  it,  and  he 
was  about  to  make  a  suitable  rejoinder,  when  a 
voice  close  behind  him  said : 

"  Now,  shipmate,  what 's  the  use  o?  being  so  hard 
on  the  boy  ?  " 

Archie  turned,  and  found  Simpson  at  his  side. 


22  FEANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

"The  youngster  hain't  been  to  sea  as  long  as 
you  and  I  have,"  continued  the  latter.  "If  we 
were  ashore,  he  would  stand  a  better  chance  of 
gettin'  along  than  you  nor  me." 

"  Then,  shiver  his  tim'ers,  why  did  n't  he  stay 
ashore,  where  he  belongs  ?  "  asked  the  man,  gruffly. 

"  Oh,  he  's  got  the  right  stuff  in  him,  and  will  soon 
learn  the  ropes,"  answered  Simpson.  "  Come,  now, 
my  little  marlinspike,"  he  continued,  turning  to 
Archie,  "follow  in  my  wake,  and  I'll  show  you 
where  our  mess-chist  is;"  and  the  kind-hearted 
sailor  led  the  way  to  the  berth-deck,  and  showed 
Archie  the  mess-chest,  which  had  "No.  25"  painted 
on  it.  Archie  put  all  his  dishes  into  it,  with  the 
exception  of  the  mess-kettle  and  two  plates,  which, 
according  to  Simpson's  directions,  he  took  back  to 
the  store-room,  to  put  his  rations  in.  The  steward 
then  gave  him  a  large  piece  of  salt  beef,  some  cof 
fee,  sugar,  butter,  and  sea-biscuit. 

"Is  this  all  we  have  to  eat?"  inquired  Archie,  as 
he  picked  up  his  rations  and  followed  Simpson  back 
to  his  mess-chest. 

"All!"  repeated  Simpson;  "yes,  my  hearty,  and 
you  may  thank  your  lucky  stars  that  you  have 
got  even  this.  You  '11  have  to  live  on  worse  grub 


LEARNING    THE    ROPES.  23 

nor  this  afore  your  year  is  out.  But  I  see  you 
do  n't  like  the  berth  of  cook,  so  I  '11  take  it  off 
your  hands.  Give  me  the  key  of  the  chist." 

Archie  accordingly  handed  it  over,  and  then 
went  in  search  of  his  cousin,  whom  he  found 
perched  upon  a  coil  of  rope,  engaged  in  writing  a 
letter. 

"  Well,"  exclaimed  the  latter,  as  Archie  came  up, 
"how  do  you  get  along?" 

"  I  do  n't  get  along  at  all,"  said  Archie  ;  "  I  tell 
you,  we  've  got  ourselves  in  a  fix.  What  do  you 
suppose  we  are  going  to  have  for  dinner  ?  " 

"  I  do  n't  know,"  answered  Frank. 

"  Well,  we  will  have  a  chunk  of  salt  beef,  coffee 
without  any  milk,  butter  strong  enough  to  go  alone, 
and  crackers  so  hard  that  you  could  n't  break  them 
with  an  ax.  I  tell  you,  the  navy  is  played  out." 

"Well,  it  can't  be  helped,"  said  his  cousin. 
"  We  are  in  for  it.  But  we  '11  soon  get  accus 
tomed  to  the  food ;  we  are  seeing  the  worst  of  our 
year  now." 

"I  certainly  hope  so,"  said  Archie;  "but  I  know 
I  can  stand  it  if  any  one  else  can;  and  when  I 
fairly  get  started,  I  won't  ask  favors  of  any  one." 

Frank  made  no  reply,  but  went  on  with  his  let- 


24  FRANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

ter,  and  Archie  leaned  on  one  of  the  guns  and 
gazed  listlessly  into  the  water.  At  length  they 
were  interrupted  by  the  boatswain's  whistle,  blown 
three  times  in  succession,  long  and  loud. 

"What 's  the  matter  now,  I  wonder,"  said  Frank, 
as  the  sailors  commenced  running  about  the  ship 
in  all  directions. 

"  I  know,"  answered  Archie,  as  he  saw  Simpson 
dive  into  the  cook's  galley  and  reappear  bearing 
the  mess-kettle,  filled  with  steaming  coffee,  in  one 
hand,  and  a  large  pan,  containing  the  salt  beef,  in 
the  other — "  dinner  is  ready." 

The  cousins  walked  aft  to  their  mess-chest,  and 
found  the  berth-deck  filled  with  men,  who  were  sit 
ting  around  the  chests,  brandishing  their  sheath- 
knives  over  plates  full  of  salt  beef  and  "  hard-tack." 

Coming  directly  from  home,  where  they  had  been 
accustomed  to  luxurious  living,  our  young  sailors 
thought  they  could  not  relish  this  hard  fare ;  but, 
as  they  had  eaten  no  breakfast,  they  were  very 
hungry,  and  the  food  tasted  much  better  than  they 
had  expected. 

When  dinner  was  ended,  Simpson  began  to 
gather  up  the  dishes  belonging  to  his  mess,  pre 
paratory  to  washing  them.  Frank  and  Ardue 


LEARNING    THE    ROPES.  25 

offered  their  assistance,  and  Simpson  directed  the 
former  to  take  the  mess-kettle  and  go  up  to  the 
galley  after  some  hot  water.  When  he  was  re 
turning,  he  saw  a  man  stealing  around  the  deck, 
holding  something  behind  him  that  looked  very 
much  like  a  bundle  of  rope,  and  keeping  a  close 
watch  on  every  one  he  met.  Frank  did  not  know 
what  to  make  of  this,  and  stepping  up  to  the  boat 
swain's  mate,  he  inquired : 

"What  is  that  man  doing  with  that  bundle  of 
rope  behind  him?" 

"  That  ain't  a  bundle  of  rope,  you  landlubber," 
replied  the  mate ;  "  that 's  a  swab." 

"Well,  what  is  he  doing  with  it?" 

"  The  best  way  for  you  to  learn  would  be  for 
you  to  spill  some  of  that  water  you  have  got  in 
your  kettle  on  the  deck." 

Frank,  without  stopping  to  think,  tipped  up  his 
kettle,  and  turned  out  some  of  the  water  ;  and  the 
man,  who  had  been  watching  his  every  movement, 
sprang  toward  him  and  threw  down  the  swab,  ex 
claiming, 

"  I  've  caught  you,  my  hearty ;  now  you  may  log 
this  bit  of  rope  for  awhile." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  inquired  Frank,  amid  a 


26  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

roar  of  laughter  from  every  sailor  who  had  wit 
nessed  the  performance. 

"What  does  he  mean?"  repeated  the  mate; 
"  why,  he  means  that  you  have  got  to  wipe  up  that 
water  you  have  spilt  on  deck,  and  carry  that  swab 
until  you  can  catch  some  one  else  doing  the  same 
thing." 

For  the  benefit  of  the  uninitiated,  we  will  make 
an  explanation.  It  often  happens  on  shipboard, 
especially  receiving-ships,  that  the  men  become 
very  careless ;  and  in  carrying  water,  paint,  or 
grease  about  the  ship,  frequently  spill  some  of  it 
on  deck.  While  this  state  of  things  continues,  it 
is  impossible  to  keep  a  ship  clean,  and,  in  order  to 
break  up  this  habit,  the  culprits  are  obliged  to  wipe 
up  whatever  they  have  spilled,  and  then  carry  a 
swab  about  the  deck  until  they  can  detect  some  one 
else  equally  unfortunate.  This  is  not  a  pleasant 
task ;  for,  as  soon  as  this  rule  is  put  in  force,  the 
men  become  very  careful,  and  the  luckless  offender 
is  sometimes  obliged  to  walk  the  decks  the  entire 
day  before  he  can  detect  any  one  in  the  act  of  vio 
lating  it. 

Frank,  of  course,  did  not  understand  this,  and  the 
mate  had  got  him  into  the  scrape  for  the  purpose 


LEARNING    THE    ROPES.  27 

of  getting  the  man  who  first  had  the  swab,  who  was 
a  particular  friend  of  his,  out  of  his  unpleasant 
position. 

"  Come,  youngster,  drop  that  mess-kettle  and 
pick  up  that  swab,"  commanded  the  mate. 

Frank  knew  he  had  no  alternative ;  so  he  set 
his  mess-kettle  on  deck  out  of  the  way,  and  picking 
up  the  swab,  walked  aft  to  the  place  where  he  had 
left  Simpson. 

"Hullo,  there,"  exclaimed  the  latter,  as  Frank 
approached,  "what's  the  matter  with  you?" 

Frank  related  the  whole  circumstance,  and  Simp 
son  could  scarcely  restrain  his  indignation. 

"  That  bo'son's  mate  ought  to  be  mast-headed 
for  a  whole  week,"  he  exclaimed.  "  But  I  '11 
square  yards  with  him  some  day.  I'm  sorry 
you  have  got  into  this  scrape,  but  it  can't  be 
helped.  I've  seen  many  a  good  fellow,  in  my 
time,  in  the  same  fix.  Now  you  must  walk  around 
the  ship,  and  if  you  see  any  one  spill  the  least  drop 
of  water,  or  any  thing  else,  on  deck,  rush  up  and 
give  him  the  swab.  There  are  a  good  many  land 
lubbers  on  board,  who  don't  know  the  rules,  and 
you  won't  have  any  trouble  in  catching  them.  Al- 


28  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

ways  be  careful  to  keep  the  swab  behind  you,  out 
of  sight." 

Frank  was  a  good  deal  mortified  at  being  the 
victim  of  this  novel  mode  of  punishment;  but  he 
consoled  himself  with  the  thought  that  he  would 
soon  learn  his  duty,  and  be  enabled  to  avoid  all 
such  scrapes.  He  walked  about  the  vessel  for  an 
hour,  trailing  the  swab  along  the  deck  behind  him ; 
but  it  seemed  as  though  every  one  was  particularly 
careful. 

Meanwhile  Archie,  who  had  learned  the  par 
ticulars  of  the  case  from  Simpson,  was  acting  as  a 
sort  of  scout,  hoping  to  be  of  some  assistance  to 
his  cousin.  But  he  looked  and  waited  in  vain  for 
some  one  to  violate  the  rule,  and  finally  he  resolved 
to  make  use  of  a  little  strategy  in  releasing 
Frank. 

Discovering  a  man  coming  out  of  the  galley  with 
a  pail  of  water,  Archie  walked  rapidly  down  the 
deck,  and  jostled  him  wTith  sufficient  force  to  empty 
half  the  contents  of  his  pail  on  the  deck.  Archie 
did  not,  of  course,  stop  to  apologize,  but  hurried 
on,  and  before  the  man  could  look  up  to  see  who 
had  caused  the  mischief,  he  had  disappeared. 
Frank,  who  had  been  watching  his  cousin's  mo 


LEARNING   THE   ROPES.  29 

tions,  immediately  stepped  up  and  dropped  the 
swab  before  the  man,  and  walked  away,  laughing 
in  his  sleeve,  when  he  thought  how  cleverly  his 
release  had  been  accomplished. 

When  the  hour  of  bedtime  arrived,  the  boys 
were  instructed  how  to  get  into  their  hammocks, 
and  laughed  at  for  tumbling  out  on  the  opposite 
side.  But,  after  a  few  attempts,  they  succeeded  in 
gaining  the  center  of  their  suspended  beds,  and 
were  soon  in  a  sound  sleep. 


30  FRANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 


CHAPTER   III. 

tfe  iurfcs. 


Y  degrees  the  boys  became  accus 
tomed  to   their   new  situation,  and 
began  to  feel  much  more  contented. 
The  only  thing  that  troubled  them  was 
the  food  they  received.      It  consisted, 


for  the  most  part,  of  salt  pork  and  beef, 
and  hard  crackers,  with  now  and  then  a  little 
flour  and  dried  apples.  Simpson,  who  had  been 
in  the  navy  nearly  all  his  life,  and  had  become 
well  acquainted  with  its  rules  and  regulations, 
asserted  that  they  did  not  receive  half  their  al- 
lowance^jind  promised  that,  if  he  could  detect 
the  paymaster's  steward  in  the  act  of  cheating 
them,  he  would  pay  him  back  in  his  own  coin. 
Now  Blinks,  for  that  was  the  steward's  name,  was 
a  notorious  cheat;  he  never  gave  the  men  their 
full  rations.  On  the  contrary,  he  often  boasted 


SQUARING   THE    YARDS.  31 

that  he  cleared  not  less  than  a  hundred  pounds 
of  provisions  every  day.  He  was  the  caterer  of 
the  steerage  mess,  and  many  a  pound  of  flour  and 
apples,  which  should  have  been  given  to  the  men, 
found  its  way  to  his  table,  in  the  shape  of  pies  and 
puddings.  Blinks  always  rose  early,  and  as  soon 
as  he  was  dressed,  the  steerage  steward,  every 
morning,  brought  to  his  room  a  lunch,  consisting 
of  coffee  and  apple-pie.  He  was  very  fond  of 
pies,  and  had  several  made  every  day.  Every 
time  the  men  passed  the  galley,  they  saw  long 
rows  of  them  set  out  to  cool.  Many  a  midnight 
plundering  expedition  had  been  planned  against 
the  galley,  but  without  success.  The  door  and 
windows  were  securely  fastened  at  sundown,  and 
all  attempts  to  effect  an  entrance  were  unavailing. 
It  was  also  useless  to  attempt  to  bribe  the  cook, 
for  Blinks,  who  was  a  strict  accountant,  always 
knew  how  many  pies  were  made  every  day,  .and  if 
any  of  them  were  missing,  the  cook  was  sure  to 
suffer.  One  evening,  while  Frank  and  oimpson 
were  engaged  in  washing  up  the  supper-dishes,  the 
latter  inquired : 

"  Would  you  like  one  of  those  pies  we  saw  in 
the  galley  to-day  ?  " 


32  FRANK    ON    A   GUN-BOAT. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Frank ;  "  they  looked  very 
tempting." 

"  Well,"  said  Simpson,  lowering  his  voice  to  a 
whisper,  "  we  '11  have  some  of  them  to-night." 

"How  will  we  get  them?"  inquired  Frank. 

"Why,  we  '11  steal  them.  We  can't  beg  or  buy 
them.  Besides,  the  stuff  they  are  made  of  right 
fully  belongs  to  us.  I  do  n't  care  a  snap  for  the 
pies,  but  I  do  n't  want  to  see  that  rascally  steward 
growing  fat  off  our  grub." 

"  I  'm  in  for  it,"  answered  Frank,  who  had  long 
wanted  an  opportunity  to  revenge  himself  on 
Blinks. 

"Will  that  cousin  of  yours  lend  us  a  hand?" 
inquired  Simpson. 

"Yes,  without  any  coaxing.  He  does  not  like 
the  steward  any  better  than  I  do.  But  I  'd  like 
to  know  how  we  are  going  to  work  to  get  at  the 
pies?  The  doors  and  windows  are  all  fastened." 

"  We  will  pry  up  the  galley,  so  that  one  of  us 
can  crawl  under  it.  I  've  put  a  handspike  where  I 
can  find  it  in  a  moment.  -We  shall  have  no  trouble 
at  all." 

As  soon  as  the  dishes  were  washed  and  stowed 
away  in  the  mess-chest,  Frank  went  to  find  hip 


SQUARING   THE   YARDS,  33 

cousin,  who  was  always  ready  for  any  mischief  of 
that  kind,  and  readily  agreed  to  the  proposal. 
When  bedtime  came,  the  three  slung  their  ham 
mocks  together,  and,  to  all  appearances,  were  soon 
fast  asleep.  At  nine  o'clock  the  ship's  corporal 
put  out  all  the  berth-deck  lights,  Avhich  left  the 
place  shrouded  in  darkness.  As  soon  as  he  had 
gone  forward  again,  Simpson  raised  himself  on  his 
elbow,  and  whispered : 

"  Turn  out,  lads.  Now  's  our  time." 
The  boys  crept  noiselessly  out  of  their  ham 
mocks,  and  followed  the  sailor,  who  led  the  way 
directly  to  the  galley,  which  was,  in  fact,  a  small 
house,  about  ten  feet  square,  built  on  the  deck,  to 
which  it  was  insecurely  fastened.  Simpson  found 
his  handspike  without  any  difficulty,  and  placing 
one  end  of  it  under  the  galley,  easily  raised  it  from 
the  deck,  while  Archie  threw  himself  on  his  hands 
and  knees,  and  crawled  in  under  it.  It  was  as  dark 
as  pitch  inside  the  galley,  but  he  knew  exactly 
where  the  pies  were  kept,  and  had  no  difficulty  in 
finding  them.  He  handed  three  of  them  to  his 
cousin,  and  then  crawled  out  again,  and  the  galley 
was  lowered  to  its  place.  After  stowing  the  pies 
safely  away  in  their  mess-chest,  they  again  sought 
3 


34  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

their  hammocks.  The  next  morning,  when  the 
steward  entered  the  galley  to  prepare  the  usual 
lunch  for  Blinks,  he  was  surprised,  and  a  good  deal 
terrified,  to  find  that  some  of  the  pies  were  missing. 
He  immediately  went  on  deck,  and  reported  it  to 
Blinks,  who  furiously  asked : 

"Where  have  they  gone  to,  you  rascal?" 

"  I  do  n't  know,  sir,  I  'm  sure,"  answered  the 
steward,  while  visions  of  double-irons  danced  be 
fore  his  eyes.  u  There  were  eight  pies  in  the  gal 
ley  when  I  locked  it  up  last  night." 

"  I  do  n't  believe  it,  you  scoundrel.  You  sold 
the  pies,  and  think  that,  by  telling  me  they  are 
missing,  you  can  make  me  believe  that  they  were 
stolen." 

"  I  have  never  done  any  thing  of  the  kind  since 
I  have  been  your  steward,  Mr.  Blinks,"  said  the 
man,  with  some  spirit.  "  I  have  always  been  as 
careful  of  your  interests  as  I  would  be  of  my  own. 
Did  you  ever  detect  me  in  a  mean  or  a  dishonest 
act?" 

"  No ;  but  I  have  often  caught  the  cook  stealing 
things.  I  '11  report  you  to  the  executive  ofiicer, 
and  have  you  punished.  Go  below." 

The  man  sullenly  withdrew,  and  Blinks  hurried 


SQUARING    THE   YARDS.  35 

to  the  executive  officer's  room  and  reported  the 
affair. 

"Are  you  sure  the  steward  stole  the  pies,  Mr. 
Blinks?"  inquired  the  officer;  " perhaps  some  one 
broke  into  the  galley.  It  would  be  well  for  you 
to  go  down  and  see,  before  punishing  the  steward." 

Blinks  hurried  below,  and  commenced  a  thorough 
examination  of  the  locks  and  window-fastenings, 
but  all  to  no  purpose;  and  he  was  still  more  sur 
prised  when  the  steward  affirmed  that  he  had 
found  all  the  doors  and  windows  closed,  just  as  he 
had  left  them.  This  was  also  reported  to  the  ex 
ecutive  officer,  who  advised  Blinks  to  say  nothing 
about  the  affair,  but  to  set  a  watch  over  the  galley, 
and,  if  possible,  discover  the  offender. 

Blinks  resolved  to  act  upon  this  suggestion ; 
and,  the  following  evening,  he  posted  a  sentry  over 
the  galley,  with  instructions  to  arrest  any  one  who 
might  be  discovered  prowling  around.  After  fast 
ening  the  doors  and  windows  himself,  he  put  the 
keys  in  his  pocket  and  walked  away. 

At  half-past  nine  o'clock  our  young  sailors  and 
Simpson  were  again  on  hand.  After  a  careful  re- 
.connoissance,  the  sentry  was  discovered  fast  asleep 
at  his  post.  They  immediately  set  to  work  as  be- 


36  FRANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

fore — the  galley  was  raised  up,  and  three  more  pies 
secured.  It  was  all  done  in  a  moment,  and  the 
sentinel  was  not  awakened ;  and  as  they  retreated 
to  their  hammocks,  they  could  scarcely  refrain 
from  laughing  outright,  when  they  thought  how 
nicely  the  trick  was  performed. 

The  next  morning  Blinks  opened  the  galley  at 
an  early  hour,  and  was  surprised  and  enraged  to 
find  that  some  of  his  pies  were  again  missing. 
He  carefully  examined  every  nook  and  corner  of 
the  galley,  but  failed  to  discover  a  place  where  any 
one  could  effect  an  entrance. 

For  four  nights  more,  in  succession,  Frank  and 
his  accomplices  visited  the  galley,  each  time  taking 
pies  enough  to  last  them  a  whole  day;  and  Blinks, 
in  the  mean  time,  was  making  unavailing  efforts 
to  discover  the  offenders.  On  the  fifth  night, 
Archie,  who  was  the  one  that  always  went  into  the 
galley,  was  much  longer  than  usual  in  finding  the 
pies.  At  length  he  whispered, 

"I  say,  Simpson!" 

"Ay,  ay,  my  hearty;  what  is  it?" 

"  I  can't  find  but  one  pie." 

"You  can't,  hey?"  said  Simpson;  "I  smell  a 
rat.  Bring  the  pie  out  here." 


SQUARING   THE   YARDS.  37 

Archie  accordingly  handed  it  out,  saying,  as  he 
lid  so — 

"  I  'm  hungry  as  blazes ;  I  believe  I  '11,  eat  a 
piece  of  that  pie  to-night." 

"Not  in  a  hurry,"  said  Simpson,  as  they  began 
to  crawl  back  toward  their  hammocks;  "not  in  a 
hurry;  I've  been  in  such  scrapes  as  this  before, 
and  can't  be  fooled  easy." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  inquired  Frank. 

"  Why,  I  mean  that  this  pie  was  made  on  pur 
pose  for  us,"  said  Simpson  ;  "  it  has  got  some 
kind  of  medicine  in  it  that  will  make  a  fellow  sick. 
If  we  should  eat  it,  they  would  not  be  long  in  find 
ing  out  who  stole  the  pies." 

"  I  '11  tell  you  what  to  do  with  it,"  said  Frank, 
suddenly ;  "  let 's  give  it  to  Jenkins,  the  boat 
swain's  mate  ;  he  's  a  mean  fellow,  and  I  should  n't 
be  sorry  to  see  him  sick.' 

"That's  just  what  I  was  going  to  do  with  it," 
said  Simpson.     "Now,  you  go  back  to  your  ham 
mocks,  and  I'll  carry  him  the  pie." 

"As  Simpson  had  taken  particular  notice  of  the 
place  where  Jenkins  was  in  the  habit  of  slinging 
his  hammock,  he  had  no  difficulty  whatever  in  find 
ing  it. 


38  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

"I  say,  shipmate,"  he  whispered,  shaking  the 
mate  by  the  shoulder. 

"What  do  you  want?"  he  growled. 

"  Wake  up,"  said  Simpson ;  "  I  've  got  a  nice  pie 
for  you;  do  you  want  it?" 

"Of  course  I  do,"  answered  the  mate,  taking  it 
from  Simpson's  hand.  "  But  who  are  you  ? "  he 
inquired,  for  it  was  so  dark  that  he  could  not 
have  recognized  the  features  of  his  most  intimate 
friend. 

"I'm  Jack  Smith,"  answered  Simpson;  "but  I 
can't  stop  to  talk  with  you,  for  some  one  may  dis 
cover  me;"  and  before  Jenkins  could  detain  him, 
he  had  slipped  off  quietly  in  the  darkness. 

It  was  as  Simpson  had  said — the  pie  had  been 
made  "on  purpose  for  them."  When  Blinks  saw 
that  it  was  impossible  to  discover  the  guilty  party, 
he  ordered  his  steward  to  make  a  nice,  large  pie, 
into  which  he  put  two  doses  of  jalap.  It  was  his 
intention  to  make  the  offender  sick;  and  he  told 
the  doctor  what  he  had  done,  and  requested  him  to 
keep  an  eye  on  all  who  came  to  him  for  medicine 

The  next  morning  Jenkins  was  not  heard  blow 
ing  his  whistle,  but  was  seen  moving  slowly  about 
the  ship,  with  a  pale,  woe-begone  countenance ; 


SQUARING    THE    YARDS.  39 

and  as  soon  as  the  doctor  appeared,  he  made  ap 
plication  to  go  on  the  "sick-list." 

"What's  the  matter  with  you?"  inquired  the 
doctor. 

Jenkins  then  explained  how  he  had  been  sud 
denly  taken  very  ill  during  the  night,  and  was 
afraid  he  was  going  to  die.  The  doctor,  who  knew 
in  a  moment  that  it  was  the  effect  of  the  medicine 
contained  in  the  pie,  exclaimed : 

"  Why,  you  "re  just  the  man  Mr.  Blinks  has  been 
wanting  to  see  for  the  last  week.  Orderly,  ask 
Mr.  Blinks  if  he  will  have  the  kindness  to  come 
here  a  moment." 

The  orderly  disappeared,  and  Jenkins  stood, 
looking  the  very  picture  of  despair,  too  sick  to 
know  or  care  what  was  going  on. 

"  Mr.  Blinks,  I  've  found  your  man,"  said  the 
doctor,  when  the  paymaster's  steward  made  his 
appearance. 

"  Well,  my  fine  fellow,"  said  Blinks,  turning  to 
the  mate,  and  smiling  grimly,  "how  do  you  feel  by 
this  time?  Very  pleasant  morning,  isn't  it?  I 
knew  I  'd  catch  you,  you  scoundrel,"  he  exclaimed, 
suddenly  changing  his  tune ;  "  1 711  teach  you  to 
steal  my  pies  ! " 


40  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

"  I — I — do  n't  know  what  you  mean,  sir  ! "  said 
the  mate,  in  surprise. 

"  Do  n't  talk  to  me,  you  villain,"  said  Blinks, 
savagely;  "didn't  you  eat  a  pie  last  night?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Jenkins,  hesitatingly, 
"but"— 

"I  knew  you  did,  you  rascal." 

"But  the  pie  was  given  to  me,  sir,"  said  the 
mate. 

"  Oh,  that  story  won't  do  at  all.  I  '11  fix  you. 
Go  below." 

In  a  short  time  the  mate,  who  was  so  weak  that 
he  was-  scarcely  able  to  stand  alone,  was  sum 
moned  before  the  captain,  who  gave  him  a  severe 
reprimand,  and  disrated  him.  He  came  down  on 
deck,  looking  very  forlorn  indeed ;  and  as  he 
passed  by  Simpson,  who,  with  Frank  and  Archie, 
was  standing  in  the  starboard  gangway,  the  former 
exclaimed : 

"That's  what  I  call  squaring  the  yards;  I'm 
even  with  him  now." 

As  soon  as  Jenkins  had  recovered  from  the  ef 
fects  of  the  physic,  he  began  to  make  efforts  to 
find  Jack  Smith.  One  day  he  approached  Simp 
son,  who  was  seated  on  a  coil  of  rope,  spinning 


SQUARING    THE   YARDS.  41 

one  of  his  forecastle  yarns  to  Frank  and  Archie, 
and  said : 

"Shipmate,  do  you  know  any  one  aboard  here 
named  Jack  Smith?" 

"No,"  answered  Simpson,  with  the  utmost  grav 
ity,  "I  don't  know  any  one  who  goes  by  that 
name." 

"Well,  there  is  a  chap  here  by  that  name,"  said 
Jenkins,  "and  I  wish  I  could  find  him.  He  got 
me  into  a  bad  scrape." 

But,  it  is  needless  to  say,  he  never  found  Jack 
Smith. 


FKANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


[form. 


the  afternoon  of  the  following  day, 
as  Frank  and  his  cousin  were  walk 
ing  up  and  down  the  deck,  talking  over 
old  times,  Simpson  hurriedly  approached 
them,  exclaiming, 

"Boys,  do   you   want  to   leave  this 
ship?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Frank;  "we  're  tired  of  stay 
ing  here." 

"Well,  it's  all  right,  then.  I  volunteered  to  go, 
and  I  had  both  your  names  put  down.  The  ex 
ecutive  officer  says  if  you  want  to  go,  just  get  your 
donnage  and  go  for'ard." 

"Where  are  we  to  go?"  inquired  Archie. 
"On  board  of  the  Illinois,"  answered  Simpson. 
"  She  is   a  magazine-ship,  and  is  lying  half-way 


A   MIDNiUlIT   ALARM.  •  43 

between  here  and  Mound  City.  No  work  at  all 
to  do.  I'm  going.' 

"Then  we'll  go,  of  course,"  said  Frank;  "for 
we  do  n't  want  to  lose  you." 

They  immediately  got  down  their  hammocks 
and  bags,  and  went  forward,  where  they  found  the 
executive  officer  standing  on  the  forecastle,  wait 
ing  for  them. 

"  Well,  lads,  do  you  volunteer  to  go  on  the  Illi 
nois?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Jump  down  into  that  dingy,  then,"  said  the 
officer,  pointing  to  a  small  boat  that  lay  along 
side. 

The  boys  did  as  they  were  ordered,  and  just 
as  they  had  finished  storing  away  their  bags  and 
hammocks  under  the  thwarts,  a  man  dressed  in  the 
uniform  of  a  sailor  sprang  down  into  the  boat, 
exclaiming : 

"Man  your  oars,  lads,  and  shove  off — you've 
a  long  pull  before  you." 

Archie  took  one  of  the  oars,  Frank  the  other; 
Simpson  stowed  himself  away  in  the  bow  of  the 
boat,  and  the  sailor  took  his  seat  at  the  helm. 

The  cousins  were  both  good  oarsmen,  and  they 


44  FRANK    ON   A    ^UN-BOAT. 

made  the  little  boat  dance  over  the  water  like  a 

• 

duck.  It  was  full  five  miles  to  the  place  where 
the  Illinois  lay,  and  they  soon  found  that  it  was 
indeed  "a  long,  hard  pull."  The  current  was 
very  strong,  and  it  reminded  the  boys  of  many  a 
tough  struggle  they  had  had  around  the  head  of 
Strawberry  Island,  in  the  Kennebec  River. 

In  about  two  hours  they  i  cached  the  Illinois, 
and,  as  they  sprang  on  board,  their  baggage  was 
seized  by  willing  hands,  and  carried  to  the  cabin, 
which  had  been  stripped  of  nearly  all  its  furniture, 
and  presented,  altogether,  a  desolate  appearance. 
After  a  few  moments'  conversation  with  one  of 
their  new  messmates,  they  learned  that  there  were 
only  fifteen  men  on  board  the  vessel,  including  one 
sergeant  and  two  corporals.  These  were  the  only 
officers;  and  they  were,  in  fact,  no  officers  at  all, 
for  they  were  all  rated,  on  the  books  of  the  receiv 
ing-ship,  as  "landsmen." 

They  soon  discovered  that  there  was  no  disci 
pline  among  the  crew — there  could  not  be,  under 
the  circumstances.  Each  stood  a  two-hour  watch, 
at  night,  and  assisted  in  pumping  out  the  ship, 
morning  and  evening.  With  the  exception  of  these 
duties,  there  was  no  work  to  be  done  on  board  the 


A   MIDNIGHT    ALARM.  45 

vessel.  The  remainder  of  the  day  was  spent  as 
suited  them  best.  Some  passed  the  time  in  hunt 
ing  and  fishing,  some  in  reading,  and  some  lounged 
about  the  decks,  from  morning  until  night. 

Frank  and  Archie  were  very  much  pleased  with 
their  new  situation.  There  was  no  boatswain's 
mate  to  trouble  them,  and  they  were  in  no  danger 
of  rendering  themselves  liable  to  punishment  for 
some  unintentional  offense. 

After  stowing  away  their  bags  and  hammocks, 
they  amused  themselves  in  strolling  about  the  boat, 
until  a  neat-looking  little  sailor  stepped  up,  and 
informed  them  that  supper  was  ready.  They  fol 
lowed  him  into  the  cabin,  and  took  their  seats  at 
the  table,  with  the  rest,  and  one  of  the  sailors,  who 
went  by  the  name  of  Woods,  exclaimed : 

"  Now,  boys,  pitch  in,  help  yourselves,  for  if  you 
do  n't,  you  won't  be  helped  at  all.  Every  one  that 
comes  here  has  to  learn  to  take  care  of  himself." 

"You  will  not  find  us  at  all  bashful,"  answered 
Frank,  and  he  began  helping  himself  most  boun 
tifully  to  every  thing  on  the  table. 

It  did  not  take  them  long  to  become  acquainted, 
and  thel}oys  found  that  their  new  shipmates  were 
much  better  educated  than  the  majority  of  the 


46  FRANK   ON  A   GUN-BOAT. 

sailors  they  had  met.  They  were  a  good-natured, 
jovial  set  of  fellows,  and  the  meal-hour  passed 
away  quickly  and  pleasantly. 

Immediately  after  supper  the  corporal  ordered 
all  hands  below  to  pump  out  the  ship.  In  a  quar 
ter  of  an  hour  this  was  accomplished,  and  as  they 
were  ascending  to  the  boiler-deck,  Woods  re 
marked  : 

"  I  wish  I  was  back  in  Wisconsin  again  for  a 
little  while." 

"Are  you  tired  of  the  navy?  "  inquired  Frank. 

"  Oh,  no ! "  answered  Woods ;  "  but  I  should  like 
to  see  my  friends  again,  and  try  my  hand  at  quail- 
shooting." 

"Are  you  fond  of  hunting?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed ;  I  spend  all  my  spare  time  in  the 
woods,  when  I  am  at  home." 

This  was  the  very  man,  of  all  others,  that  Frank 
would  have  chosen  for  a  companion,  and  he  in 
formed  Woods  that  he  also  was  very  fond  of  rural 
sports.  They  seated  themselves  on  the  boiler 
deck  railing,  and  each  related  some  of  his  hunting 
and  fishing  adventures,  and,  finally,  Woods  pro 
posed  that  they  should  go  over  the  river  into  Ken 
tucky,  on  the  following  morning,  on  a  squirrel- 


A   MIDNIGHT   ALARM.  47 

hunt.  Frank,  of  course,  readily  agreed  to  this. 
He  immediately  started  in  search  of  his  cousin  and 
Simpson,  and  informed  them  of  the  proposed  excur 
sion.  When  he  returned  to  the  place  where  he  had 
left  Woods,  he  found  him  Avith  a  musket  on  his 
shoulder,  and  a  cartridge-box  buckled  about  his 
waist,  pacing  up  and  down  the  deck. 

"  I  'm  on  watch,  you  see,"  he  said,  as  Frank 
came  up.  "  You  will  go  on  at  midnight ;  so  you 
had  better  go  and  turn  in.  If  we  go  hunting  to 
morrow,  we  must  start  by  four  o'clock  at  least,  for 
we  have  a  good  way  to  walk  before  we  reach  the 
hunting-ground.  Good  night."  And  Woods,  set 
tling  his  musket  more  firmly  on  his  shoulder,  con 
tinued  his  beat,  while  Frank  sought  his  hammock. 

About  midnight  he  was  awakened  by  a  hand  laid 
on  his  shoulder,  when,  starting  up,  he  found  one 
of  the  corporals  standing  beside  his  hammock, 
holding  a  lantern  in  his  hand. 

"  Is  your  name  Nelson  ? "  he  inquired. 

Frank  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  the  cor 
poral  continued : 

"  Roll  out,  then,  for  it  is  time  for  you  to  go  on 
watch.  But  be  careful  when  you  come  out,  or 
you  '11  be  shot." 


48  FRANK    ON    A   GUN-BOAT. 

"  Shot !  "  exclaimed  Frank.  "  Who  '11  shoot 
me?  Are  there  any  rebels  around  here?  " 

"  Yes,  plenty  of  them.  There  are  some  out  on 
the  bank  now.  I  was  walking  with  Woods,  when  I 
happened  to  look  up,  and  saw  two  men,  with  their 
muskets  pointed  straight  at  us ;  but  we  got  out  of 
the  way  before  they  had  time  to  shoot.  Hurry  up, 
now,  but  do  n't  expose  yourself,"  and  the  corporal 
hurried  aft,  hiding  his  lantern  under  his  coat  as  he 
went. 

What  Frank's  feelings  were,  we  will  not  attempt 
to  say.  He  was  not  a  coward,  for  we  once  saw 
him  alone  in  the  forest,  standing  face  to  face 
with  a  wounded  wild-cat,  with  no  weapon  in  his 
hands  but  an  ax ;  but  fighting  a  wild-cat  and  a  rebel 
sharp-shooter  were  two  widely  different  things.  He 
had  never  heard  the  whistle  of  a  hostile  bullet,  nor 
had  he  ever  seen  a  rebel ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  won 
dered  at,  if  his  feelings  were  not  of  the  most  envi 
able  nature.  But  he  was  not  one  to  shrink  from 
his  duty  because  it  was  dangerous  ;  and  he  drew  on 
his  clothes  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  seizing  a 
musket  and  cartridge-box  that  stood  in  a  rack  close 
by  the  cabin  door,  he  hurried  aft,  where  he  found 
VYoods  concealed  behind  the  port  wheel-house,  and 


A  MIDNIGHT  ALAKM.  49 

fche  corporal  behind  a  chicken-coop.  They  both 
held  their  guns  in  readiness,  and  were  peering  into 
the  woods,  as  if  trying  to  pierce  the  thick  darkness 
that  enshrouded  them.  The  Illinois  was  tied  up 
close  to  the  bank,  which,  as  the  water  in  the  river 
was  low,  was  about  thirty  feet  in  hight ;  and  as  the 
moon  was  shining  very  brightly,  a  person  hidden 
in  the  bushes  could  distinctly  see  every  thing  on 
deck. 

"  Keep  close  there,"  said  Woods,  as  Frank  came 
up.  "  The  corporal  says  he  saw  some  guerrillas 
on  the  bank." 

Frank  accordingly  concealed  himself  behind  a 
stanchion,  and  his  hand  trembled  considerably  as 
he  cocked  his  musket  and  brought  it  to  his  shoul 
der.  They  remained  in  this  position  for  nearly  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  when,  suddenly,  something 
stirred  in  the  bushes. 

"  There  they  are,"  whispered  the  corporal,  draw 
ing  himself  entirely  out  of  sight,  behind  the 
chicken-coop.  "  Look  out,  they  '11  shoot  in  a 
moment." 

Frank  kept  a  close  watch  on  the  bushes,  and 
presently  discovered  a  white  object  moving  about 
among  them. 
4 


50  FRANK   ON  A   GUN-BOAT. 

"  I  see  something,  boys,"  he  said ;  "  but  it  do  n't 
look  to  me  like  a  man." 

"Yes,  it  is  a  man,"  exclaimed  the  corporal, 
excitedly.  "  Shoot  him." 

In  obedience  to  the  order,  Frank  raised  his  gun 
to  his  shoulder,  and  an  ounce  ball  and  a  couple  of 
buckshot  went  crashing  through  the  bushes.  The 
commotion  increased  for  a  moment,  and  then 
ceased,  and  something  that  sounded  very  much 
like  a  groan  issued  from  the  woods. 

"  By  gracious,  you  hit  one  of  them,"  exclaimed 
the  corporal.  "  That  was  a  good  shot.  We  '11 
teach  these  rebs  that  it  is  n't  healthy  to  go  prowl 
ing  about  here  at  night." 

Frank  hastily  reloaded  his  musket,  and  they 
waited,  impatiently,  for  nearly  an  hour,  for  the 
other  guerrilla  to  show  himself,  but  the  woods 
remained  as  silent  as  death. 

"  I  guess  that  shot  finished  them,"  said  the  cor 
poral  ;  "  so  I  will  go  and  turn  in.  Keep  a  good 
look-out,"  he  added,  turning  to  Frank,  "  and  do  n't 
expose  yourself  too  much." 

Woods  and  the  corporal  then  went  into  the 
cabin,  and  Frank  was  left  to  himself.  A  feeling 
of  loneliness  he  had  never  before  experienced  came 


A    MIDNIGHT    ALARM.  51 

over  him.  At  first  he  determined  to  go  and  call 
his  cousin  to  come  and  stand  watch  with  him,  so 
that  he  would  have  some  one  to  talk  with ;  but,  on 
second  thought,  he  remembered  that  Archie  was 
to  come  on  watch  at  two  o'clock,  and  probably 
would  not  like  to  be  disturbed.  Besides,  if  he 
called  him,  it  would  look  as  though  he  was  a  cow 
ard,  and  afraid  to  stand  his  watch  alone ;  so  he 
gave  up  the  idea,  and  remained  in  his  place  of 
concealment.  Once  he  thought  he  discovered  the 
sheen  of  a  musket  among  the  bushes  ;  but  it  was 
only  his  imagination,  and  after  waiting  half  an 
hour  without  hearing  any  thing  suspicious,  he  shoul 
dered  his  gun,  and  commenced  pacing  the  deck, 
in  full  view  of  the  woods.  But  he  was  not  mo 
lested,  and  when  two  o'clock  came  he  saw  a  figure 
steal  cautiously  out  of  the  cabin,  and  creep  along 
toward  him,  under  cover  of  the  wheel-house.  As 
he  approached  nearer,  Frank  recognized  his  cousin. 

"  Where  are  the  rebs  ?  "  inquired  the  latter. 

"  The  corporal  said  he  saw  two  of  them  out 
there  in  the  woods,"  answered  Frank,  pointing  to 
a  thick  clump  of  bushes  that  stood  on  the  edge  of 
the  bank ;  "  and  there  was  something  out  there, 
and  I  shot  at  it.  But  I've  been  on  deck  here, 


52  FKANK   ON  A   GUN-BOAT. 

in  plain  sight,  for  the  last  hour,  and  haven't  seen 
any  thing." 

"  I  hope  there  are  no  rebs  in  there,"  said 
Archie  ;  "  but  I  '11  keep  dark  for  awhile.  I  shipped 
to  fight,  but  I  do  n't  like  the  idea  of  having  a  fel 
low  send  a  bullet  into  me  when  I  can't  see  him," 
and  he  began  to  settle  himself  into  a  comfortable 
position  behind  the  chicken-coop. 

"  I  do  n't  think  there  is  any  danger,"  said 
Frank;  "but  perhaps  it  is  well  to  be  careful  at 
first.  Be  sure  and  call  us  when  you  come  off 
watch,"  and  he  shouldered  his  rifle  and  walked 
leisurely  into  the  cabin. 


A   DISCOMFITED    REBEL.  53 


CHAPTER  V. 


RCHIE  stood  his  watch  without  see 
ing  or  hearing  any  thing  of  the  reb 
els,  and  when  he  was  relieved,  at  four 
o'clock,  he  aroused  Simpson,  Woods, 
and  his  cousin,  and  after  they  had  tied 
up  their  hammocks,  and  stowed  them 
away  in  the  nettings,  Woods  went  to 
the  sergeant's  room  to  obtain  his  consent  to  their 
proposed  excursion.  This  was  easily  accomplished, 
and  while  they  were  filling  their  pockets  with 
musket-cartridges,  Frank  proposed  that  they  should 
go  out  and  see  what  it  was  that  had  occasioned  the 
alarm  during  the  night  ;  so  they  leaned  their  mus 
kets  up  in  one  corner  of  the  cabin,  and  ran  out 
on  the  bank,  and  there,  weltering  in  his  blood,  lay, 
not  a  rebel,  but  a  white  mule.  He  it  was  that, 
while  feeding  about  in  the  woods,  had  occasioned 


54  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

the  disturbance  in  the  bushes,  and  Frank's  shot 
had  done  its  work.  The  two  men  with  muskets 
had  existence  only  in  the  corporal's  imagination, 
Simpson  burst  into  a  loud  laugh. 

"A  nice  set  of  fellows  you  are,"  he  exclaimed 
"  I  should  n't  want  you  stationed  at  my  gun  in 
action." 

"Why  not?"  inquired  Frank. 

"Why,  because  you  can't  tell  the  difference 
between  a  mule  and  a  secesh." 

Frank  made  no  reply  to  this,  for,  although  he- 
was  very  much  relieved  to  find  that  it  was  a  mule; 
and  not  a  man,  that  he  had  killed,  he  was  a  good 
deal  mortified  at  first,  for  he  expected  to  be  made 
the  laughing-stock  of  his  companions.  But  he 
consoled  himself  with  the  thought  that  he  was  not 
to  blame.  The  corporal  had  said  that  he  had  seem 
guerrillas  in  the  woods,  and  he  had,  as  in  dutj 
bound,  done  his  best  to  drive  then?  away ;  besides 
he  would  not  have  fired  his  gun  }>ad  he  not  beei 
ordered  to  do  so. 

"It's  no  matter,"  said  Simpson4  who  noticed 
that  Frank  looked  a  little  crest-fallen ;  "  It  wa& 
the  corporal's  fault." 

"I  know  it,"   said  Frank.     "But   that\   pjo: 


A   DISCOMFITED    REBEL.  55 

consolation.  I  killed  the  mule,  and  shall  probably 
be  laughed  at  for  it." 

"  What 's  the  odds  ?  "  asked  Simpson.  "  I  've 
seen  many  a  better  man  than  you  laughed  at.  But 
let  us  be  going,  for  we  have  a  long  way  to  walk." 

They  accordingly  retraced  their  steps  to  the 
vessel,  and  Woods  awoke  one  of  the  corporals,  who 
had  volunteered  to  row  them  over  into  Kentucky. 
The  dingy,  which  was  kept  fastened  to  the  stern  of 
the  Illinois,  was  hauled  alongside,  and,  in  a  few 
moments,  they  reached  the  opposite  shore.  Our 
four  hunters  sprang  out,  and,  bidding  the  corporal 
good-by,  shouldered  their  muskets,  and  disap 
peared  in  the  forest.  Woods,  who  was  well  ac 
quainted  with  the  "  lay  of  the  land,"  led  the  way. 
Just  at  sunrise  they  reached  a  ridge  covered  with 
hickory  and  pecan-trees. 

'-  Here  we  are,"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  leaned  on 
his  gun,  and  wiped  his  forehead  with  his  coat- 
sleeve.  "  There  are  plenty  of  squirrels  around 
here.  But  I  'm  hungry ;  we  have  plenty  of  time 
to  eat  some  breakfast  before  we  begin." 

They  seated  themselves  under  the  branches  of 
some  small  hickories,  and  Simpson  produced  from 
a  basket  some  salt  pork,  hard  crackers,  and  a 


56  FRANK   ON  A   GUN-BOAT. 

bottle  of  cold  coffee.  Their  long  walk  had  given 
them  good  appetites,  and  the  meal,  homely  as  it 
was,  was  eaten  with  a  relish.  After  they  had 
rested  a  few  moments,  they  started  off  in  different 
directions,  to  commence  the  hunt.  As  Frank 
walked  slowly  along,  with  his  gun  on  his  shoulder, 
he  could  not  help  thinking  of  the  many  times  he 
had  been  on  such  excursions  about  his  native  vil 
lage.  What  a  change  a  year  had  made!  The 
"Boys  of  Lawrence"  were  no  longer  amateur 
sportsmen.  They  were  scattered  all  over  the 
v  country,  engaged  in  the  work  of  sustaining  the 
integrity  of  the  best  government  on  earth. •/  Would 
they  ever  all  meet  again?  It  was  not  at  all  likely. 
Perhaps  some  had  already  been  offered  up  on  the 
altar  of  their  country  ;  and  if  he  should  ever  live  to 
return  home,  there  would  be  some  familiar  faces 
missing.  In  short,  Frank  was  homesick.  Finding 
himself  once  more  in  his  favorite  element  had  made 
him  think  of  old  times.  He  wandered  slowly 
along,  recalling  many  a  fishing  frolic  and  boat-race 
he  had  engaged  in,  until  a  loud  chatter  above  his 
head  roused  him  from  his  reverie.  He  looked  up 
just  in  time  to  see  a  large  squirrel  striving  to  hide 
himself  among  the  leaves  on  a  tree  that  stood  close 


A   DISCOMFITED   REBEL.  57 

by.  Frank's  gun  was  at  his  shoulder  in  a  moment, 
and  taking  a  quick  aim  at  the  squirrel,  he  pulled 
the  trigger.  But  the  old  Springfield  musket  was 
not  intended  for  fine  shooting ;  for,  though  the 
shot  cut  the  leaves  all  around,  the  squirrel  escaped 
unhurt,  and,  running  up  to  the  topmost  branch, 
again  concealed  himself.  While  Frank  was  reload 
ing,  Archie  came  up,  and  stood  leaning  on  his  gun, 
with  rather  a  dejected  air. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you?"  inquired  Frank. 

"I  wish  I  was  down  to  the  river,"  answered 
Archie. 

"What  would  you  do  there?  go  fishing?" 

"  No,  but  I  'd  sink  this  musket  so  deep  that  no 
one  would  ever  find  it  again.  It  do  n't  shoot 
worth  a  row  of  pins.  If  I  was  standing  twenty 
feet  from  the  side  of  a  barn,  I  could  n't  hit  it.  I 
wish  I  had  my  shot-gun  here." 

"So  do  I,"  answered  Frank;  "I  wcmld  very 
soon  bring  down  that  squirrel.  I'm  going  to  try 
him  again;"  and  going  around  to  the  side  of  the 
tree  where  the  squirrel  had  taken  refuge,  he  fired 
again,  but  with  no  better  success.  The  squirrel, 
not  in  the  least  injured,  appeared  amid  a  shower 
of  leaves,  and  speedily  found  a  new  hiding-place. 


68  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

"It's  no  use,  I  tell  you,"  said  Archie;  "you 
can't  hit  any  thing  with  that  musket." 

"It  does  look  a  little  that  way.  But  I  must 
have  that  squirrel,  if  I  have  to  shoot  all  day. 
Haven't  you  got  a  load  in  your  gun?" 

"Yes;  but  I  might  as  well  have  none.  I  can 
kill  as  many  squirrels  by  throwing  the  musket  at 
them,  as  I  can  by  shooting  at  them." 

"  Never  mind,  fire  away — the  ammunition  does  n't 
cost  us  any  thing." 

"I  know  it;  but  another  thing,  this  musket  kicks 
like  blazes.  I  had  as  soon  stand  before  it,  as  be 
hind  it.  But  I  '11  try  him ; "  and  Archie  raised 
his  gun  and  blazed  away.  This  time  there  was  no 
mistake  ;  the  squirrel  was  torn  almost  to  pieces  by 
the  ball ;  and  when  the  smoke  cleared  away,  Frank 
saw  his  cousin  sitting  on  the  ground,  holding  both 
hands  to  his  nose,  which  was  bleeding  profusely. 

"  You  've  killed  the  squirrel,"  he  said. 

"Yes,"  answered  Archie;  "but  I  hurt  myself 
as  much  as  I  did  him." 

Frank  was  a  good  deal  amused,  and  could  scarcely 
refrain  from  laughing  at  his  cousin's  misfortune. 
He  tried  to  keep  on  a  sober  face,  but  the  corners 
of  his  mouth  would  draw  themselves  out  into  a 


A    DISCOMFITED    REBEL.  59 

smile,  in  spite  of  himself.  Archie  noticed  this, 
and  exclaimed: 

"  Oh,  it 's  a  good  joke,  no  doubt." 

"If  you  would  hold  your  gun  firmly  against  your 
shoulder,"  said  Frank,  "it  wouldn't  hurt  half  so 
bad.  But  hadn't  we  better  go  on?" 

Archie  raised  himself  slowly  from  the  ground, 
and  they  moved  off  through  the  woods.  The 
squirrels  were  very  plenty ;  but  it  required  two  or 
three,  and,  sometimes,  as  many  as  half  a  dozen 
shots,  to  bring  one  down. 

At  length,  after  securing  four  squirrels,  their 
shoulders  became  so  lame  that  they  could  scarcely 
raise  their  guns;  so  they  concluded  to  give  up 
shooting,  and  start  in  search  of  Woods  and  Simp 
son,  who  had  gone  off  together.  About  noon  they 
found  them,  sitting  on  the  fence  that  ran  between 
the  woods  and  a  road.  Simpson  had  three  squir 
rels  in  his  hand. 

"We  are  waiting  for  you,"  he  said,  as  Frank 
and  Archie  came  up  ;  "  it 's  about  time  to  start  for 
the  boat." 

"I'm  hungry,"  said  Frank;  "why  can't  we  go 
down  to  that  house  and  hire  some  one  to  cook  our 
squirrels  for  us?" 


60  FRANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

" That's  a  good  idea/'  said  Woods;  "come 
along ; "  and  he  sprang  off  the  fence,  and  led  the 
way  toward  the  house  spoken  of  by  Frank,  which 
stood  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  down  the  road, 
toward  the  river. 

As  they  opened  the  gate  that  led  into  the  yard, 
they  noticed  that  a  man,  who  sat  on  the  porch  in 
front  of  the  house,  regarded  them  with  a  savage 
scowl  on  his  face. 

"How  cross  that  man  looks!"  said  Archie,  who, 
with  his  cousin,  was  a  little  in  advance  of  the  others ; 
"maybe  he's  a  reb." 

"How  do  you  do,  sir?"  inquired  Frank,  as  he 
approached  the  place  where  the  man  was  sitting. 

"What  do  yees  want  here?"  he  growled,  in 
reply. 

"  We  came  here  to  see  if  we  could  n't  hire  some 
one  to  cook  a  good  dinner  for  us,"  answered  Frank. 

"No,  ye  can't,"  answered  the  man,  gruffly;  "get 
out  o'  here.  I  never  did  nothin'  for  a  Yank,  an' 
I  never  will.  I  'd  like  to  see  yer  all  drove  from 
the  country.  Get  out  o'  here,  I  tell  yer,"  he 
shouted,  seeing  that  the  sailors  did  not  move,  uor 
I  '11  let  my  dogs  loose  on  yer ! " 

"  Why,  I  really  believe  he  is  a  reb,"  said  Archie ; 


A   DISCOMFITED   REBEL.  61 

"he's  the  first  one  I  ever  saw.  He  looks  just 
like  any  body  else,  do  n't  he,  boys  ?  " 

"  If  yees  do  n't  travel  mighty  sudden,  I  '11  make 
a  scatterin'  among  yer,"  said  the  man,  between  his 
clenched  teeth  ;  "I  '11  be  dog-gone  if  I  do  n't  shoot 
some  o'  yer;"  and  he  reached  for  a  long  double- 
barrel  shot-gun  that  stood  behind  his  chair. 

"Avast,  there,  you  old  landlubber,"  exclaimed 
Simpson;  "just  drop  that  shootin'  iron,  will  you. 
We  're  four  to  your  one,  and  you  do  n't  suppose 
that  we  are  going  to  stand  still  and  be  shot  down, 
like  turkeys  on  Thanksgivin'  morning,  do  you? 
No,  sir,  that  would  be  like  the  handle  of  a  jug,  all 
on  one  side.  Shootin'  is  a  game  two  can  play  at, 
you  know.  Come,  put  that  we'pon  down;"  and 
Simpson  held  his  musket  in  the  hollow  of  his  arm, 
and  handled  the  lock  in  a  very  significant  manner. 

The  man  saw  that  the  sailors  were  not  to  be  in 
timidated,  and  not  liking  the  way  Simpson  eyed 
him,  he  leaned  his  gun  up  in  the  corner  again,  and 
muttered  something  about  Yankee  mudsills  and 
Abolitionists. 

"Just  clap  a  stopper  on  that  jaw  of  yours,  will 
you,"  said  Simpson ;  "  or,  shiver  my  timbers,  if 
we  do  n't  try  man-o'-war  punishment  on  you.  Now, 


62  FRANK   ON  A   GUN-BOAT. 

Frank,"  he  continued,  "you  just  jump  up  there, 
and  shoot  off  the  old  rascal's  gun;  and  then  keep 
an  eye  on  him,  and  do  n't  let  him  get  out  of  his 
chair ;  and  the  rest  of  us  will  look  around  and  see 
what  we  can  find  in  the  way  of  grub." 

Frank  sprang  up  the  steps  that  led  on  to  the 
porch,  and  fired  both  barrels  of  the  gun  into  the  air, 
and  then,  drawing  a  chair  to  the  other  end  of  the 
porch,  coolly  seated  himself,  and  deposited  his  feet 
on  the  railing ;  while  the  others  went  into  the  house, 
where  they  secured  a  pail  of  fresh  milk  and  a  loaf 
of  bread.  From  the  house  they  went  into  the 
wood-shed,  where  they  found  a  quantity  of  sweet 
potatoes.  They  then  returned  to  the  place  where 
they  had  left  Frank. 

"Come  on,  now,"  said  Woods;  "we'll  have  a 
tip-top  dinner,  in  spite  of  the  old  secesh." 

"  Hold  on,"  said  Frank;  "  where  are  you  going? 
I  move  we  cook  and  eat  our  dinner  here.  There 's 
a  stove  in  the  house,  and  every  thing  handy." 

The  man  was  accordingly  invited  into  his  own 
house  by  the  boys,  and  requested  to  take  a  seat, 
and  make  himself  perfectly  at  home,  but  to  be 
careful  and  not  go  out  of  doors.  They  deposited 
their  muskets  in  one  corner  of  the  room ;  and  while 


A    DISCOMFITED    REBEL.  63 

Archie  started  a  fire  in  the  stove,  Frank  dressed 
the  squirrels,  and  washed  some  of  the  sweet  pota 
toes,  and  placed  them  in  the  oven  to  bake.  Woods 
drew  the  table  out  into  the  middle  of  the  room ; 
and  Simpson,  after  a  diligent  search,  found  the  cup 
board,  and  commenced  bringing  out  the  dishes. 
Frank  superintended  the  cooking;  and,  in  half  an 
hour,  a  s  plendid  dinner  was  smoking  on  the  table. 
When  the  meal  was  finished,  they  shouldered  their 
muskets,  and  Simpson  said  to  the  man : 

"  Now,  sir,  we  're  very  much  obliged  to  you  for 
your  kindness ;  but,  before  we  go,  we  want  to  give 
you  a  bit  of  advice.  If  you  ever  see  any  more 
Yankee  sailors  out  this  way,  do  n't  try  to  bully  them 
by  talking  treason  to  them.  If  you  do,  just  as 
likely  as  not  you  '11  get  hold  of  some  who  won't 
treat  you  as  well  as  we  have.  They  might  go  to 
work  and  clean  out  your  shanty.  Good  day,  sir ; " 
and  Simpson  led  the  wTay  toward  the  boat. 


FRANK   ON  A  GUN-BOAT. 


CHAPTER  VI 


9         e$>*         . 

s  JRtst 


CURING  the  three  months  following 
that  Frank  and  Archie  were  at 
tached  to  the  Illinois,  they  met 
with  no  adventure  worthy  of  notice. 
They  passed  nearly  every  day  in  the 
wroods,  and,  after  considerable  practice, 
had  become  splendid  shots  with  their 
muskets ;  and  as  game  was  abundant,  their  table 
was  kept  well  supplied. 

At  length,  the  new  magazine-boat,  which  had  for 
some  time  been  building  at  Cairo,  was  towed  along 
side  the  Illinois,  and  a  detachment  of  men  from  the 
receiving-ship  were  set  to  work  to  transfer  the  am 
munition.  The  crew  of  the  Illinois  were  not  at  all 
pleased  with  this,  for  they  knew  that  the  easy  life 
they  had  been  leading  was  soon  to  be  brought  to 
an  end. 


65 

When  the  ammunition  had  all  been  removed  into 
the  new  boat,  the  steamer  Champion  came  along 
side,  and  the  Illinois  was  towed  down  to  Columbus, 
where  she  was  to  undergo  repairs,  and  her  crew  was 
transferred  to  the  receiving-ship  again. 

The  day  after  they  arrived  on  board,  while  Frank 
and  his  cousin  were  seated  on  a  coil  of  rope,  as 
usual,  talking  over  old  times,  and  wondering  how 
George  and  Harry  Butler  liked  the  army,  and  why 
they  had  not  written,  the  boatswain's  mate  came 
along,  and  called  out,  in  a  loud  voice : 

"Archie  Winters!" 

"  Here  I  am,"  said  Archie. 

"  Well,  go  up  on  deck,"  said  the  mate ;  "  the 
captain  wants  to  see  you." 

"  The  captain  wants  to  see  me ! "  repeated  Archie, 
in  surprise. 

"  Yes ;  and  you  had  better  bear  a  hand,  too,  for 
the  captain  is  n't  the  man  to  wait  long  when  he 
sends  after  any  one." 

Archie  accordingly  went  on  deck,  trying  all  the 
while  to  think  what  he  had  done  that  was  wrong, 
and  expecting  a  good  blowing  up  for  some  unin 
tentional  offense.  Perhaps  the  captain  had  by 
some  means  learned  who  it  was  that  had  made  the 
5 


66  FRANK    ON    A    GUN  BOAT. 

descent  on  the  cook's  galley,  and  had  called  him  up 
for  the  purpose  of  punishing  him. 

Finding  the  captain  on  deck,  talking  with  the 
executive  officer,  he  very  politely  remained  out  of 
hearing,  holding  his  hat  in  his  hand,  and  waited 
for  a  chance  to  speak  to  him.  At  length  the  cap 
tain  inquired : 

"  Has  n't  Winters  come  up  yet  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Archie,  stepping  up  with 
his  best  salute. 

"Is  this  your  writing?"  inquired  the  captain, 
holding  out  to  Archie  a  letter  addressed,  in  a 
splendid  business  hand,  to  James  Winters,  Esq., 
Boston. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Archie  ;  "  that 's  a  letter 
I  wrote  to  my  father." 

"Well,"  continued  the  captain,  "I  have  got  a 
splendid  position  for  you,  as  second  clerk  in  the 
fleet  paymaster's  office.  Would  you  like  to  take  it  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Archie;  "but — but" — 

"  But  what  ?  "  inquired  the  captain. 

"  I  do  n't  like  to  be  separated  from  my  cousin. 
We  shipped  together,  and  I  should  like  to  remain 
with  him  as  long  as  possible." 

"Oh,  as  to  that,"  said  the  captain,  "you  can't 


FRANK'S    FIRST   EXPLOIT.  67 

expect  to  be  together  long ;  there  is  no  certainty 
that  you  will  be  ordered  to  the  same  ship.  You 
might  as  well  separate  one  time  as  another.  I 
think  you  had  better  accept  this  position." 

"  I  should  like  to  speak  with  my  cousin  before 
I  decide,  sir." 

"Very  well;    look  alive,  and   don't  keep  me 


waiting." 


Archie  touched  his  hat,  and  hurried  below. 

"  What  did  he  want  with  you  ?  "  inquired  Frank, 
who  was  sitting  with  Simpson  on  their  mess-chest. 

Archie  told  his  story,  and  ended  by  saying : 

"  I  do  n't  believe  I  '11  take  it ;  for  I  do  n't  want 
to  leave  you." 

"  You  're  foolish,"  said  Simpson ;  "  for,  as  the 
captain  said,  you  can't  expect  to  remain  together 
a  great  while.  To-morrow  one  of  you  may  be 
ordered  to  a  vessel  in  the  Cumberland  River,  and 
the  other  to  the  lower  fleet.  Better  take  it;  Frank 
can  take  care  of  himself." 

"Yes,"  said  Frank,  "I  should  certainly  take  it, 
if  I  were  in  your  place.  You  '11  be  an  officer  then, 
you  know." 

"Yes,  I  shall  be  an  officer,"  said  Archie,  con 
temptuously;  "and  if  I  meet  one  of  you  any- 


68  FRANK   ON   A  GUN-BOAT. 

where,  I  mustn't  associate  with  you  at  all.  No, 
sir ;  I  '11  go  and  tell  the  captain  I  can't  take  it." 

"But,  hold  on  a  minute,"  said  Frank,  as  his 
cousin  was  about  to  move  away ;  "  perhaps  you 
may  find  that  there  is  another  good  place,  and 
then  you  can  recommend  me." 

"  That 's  so,"  said  Archie ;  "  I  did  not  think  of 
that ;  I  believe  I  '11  take  it ; "  and  he  hurried  on 
deck  again. 

"  Well,  what  conclusion  have  you  come  to  ? " 
inquired  the  captain.  "Will  you  take  it?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  with  many  thanks  for  your  kindness.  ' 

"What  is  your  cousin's  name?" 

Archie  told  him,  and  the  captain  continued : 

"  I  '11  keep  an  eye  open  for  him.  I  do  n't  for 
get  that  I  was  young  once  myself;  and  I  know 
that  a  sailor's  life  is  rather  tough  for  one  who  is 
not  accustomed  to  it ;  and  when  I  find  a  deserving 
young  man,  I  like  to  help  him  along.  Mr.  Tyler," 
he  continued,  turning  to  the  officer  of  the  deck, 
"please  send  this  young  man  over  to  the  fleet  pay 
master's  office  in  the  first  boat  that  leaves  the  ship. 
You  need  not  take  your  donnagc,"  he  said,  turn 
ing  to  Archie  again ;  "  if  you  suit  the  paymaster, 
you  can  come  over  for  it  at  any  time." 


FRANK'S  FIRST  EXPLOIT.  69 

"  Very  good,  sir,"  answered  Archie ;  and  he 
went  below  again. 

When  the  ten  o'clock  boat  was  called  away, 
Archie,  in  obedience  to  the  captain's  order,  was 
sent  over  to  the  paymaster's  office;  and  Frank  was 
left  alone.  He  watched  the  boat  until  it  reached 
the  landing,  and  he  saw  his  cousin  spring  out.  He 
then  walked  aft,  and  seated  himself  on  the  mess- 
chest,  and  commenced  writing  a  letter  to  his  mother. 
While  he  was  thus  engaged,  he  heard  the  order 
passed,  in  a  loud  voice:  "All  you  men  that  be 
longed  to  the  Illinois,  muster  on  the  forecastle  with 
your  bags  and  hammocks." 

As  Frank  hastened  to  obey  the  order,  he  met 
Simpson,  who  exclaimed: 

"  We  ?re  off  again,  my  hearty ;  and  I  'm  glad  of 
it.  I  do  n't  like  to  lay  around  here." 

"Where  are  we  going?"  inquired  Frank. 

"  I  do  n't  know  for  certain;  but  I  suspect  we  are 
to  be  the  crew  of  the  store-ship  Milwaukee,  now 
lying  alongside  the  wharf-boat." 

Simpson's  surmise  proved  to  be  correct.  The 
entire  crew  of  the  Illinois,  with  the  exception  of 
Archie,  was  mustered  around  the  capstan ;  and  after 
answering  to  their  names,  they  were  crowded  into 


70  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

a  cutter  that  lay  alongside,  and,  in  a  few  moments, 
were  landed  on  board  the  Milwaukee. 

She  had  steam  up ;  her  stores  were  on  board, 
and  she  was  all  ready  to  sail ;  and  the  crew  had 
scarcely  time  to  stow  away  their  bags  and  ham 
mocks,  when  the  order  was  passed:  "All  hands 
stand  by  to  get  ship  under  way." 

The  gang-planks  were  quickly  hauled  in;  the 
line  with  which  she  was  made  fast  to  the  wharf- 
boat  was  cast  off,  and  the  Milwaukee  was  soon 
steaming  down  the  river,  and  Cairo  was  rapidly 
receding  from  view. 

The  Milwaukee,  which  was  now  dignified  by  the 
name  of  "  store-ship,"  was  an  old  river  packet. 
She  was  loaded  with  clothing,  provisions,  and  small 
stores,  with  which  she  was  to  supply  the  fleet.  It 
was  not,  of  course,  intended  that  she  should  go 
into  action ;  but,  in  order  that  she  might  be  able  to 
defend  herself  against  the  guerrillas,  which  infested 
the  river  between  Cairo  and  Helena,  she  mounted 
a  twelve-pound  howitzer  on  her  boiler-deck,  and 
was  well  supplied  with  muskets.  Her  destination 
was  Helena. 

They  reached  that  place  without  any  adventure, 
and,  after  supplying  the  fleet  with  stores,  started 


71 

to  return  to  Cairo.  One  pleasant  afternoon,  as 
they  were  passing  through  Cypress  Bend,  the  offi 
cer  of  the  deck  discovered  a  man  standing  on  the 
bank,  waving  a  flag  of  truce.  A  bale  of  cotton 
lay  near  him;  and  the  man,  as  soon  as  he  found 
that  he  had  attracted  their  attention,  pointed  to  the 
cotton,  and  signified,  by  signs,  that  he  wished  it  car 
ried  up  the  river. 

The  Milwaukee  was  immediately  turned  toward 
the  shore,  and  as  soon  as  they  arrived  within 
speaking  distance,  the  captain  called  out : 

"What  do  you  want?" 

"  I  would  like  to  have  you  take  this  cotton  to 
Cairo  for  me,"  answered  the  man. 

"  Are  you  a  loyal  citizen  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  and  here  is  a  permit  from  Admiral 
Porter  to  ship  my  cotton;"  and,  as  the  man  spoke, 
he  held  up  a  letter  to  the  view  of  the  captain. 

"  Bring  her  into  the  bank,  Mr.  Smith,"  said 
the  captain,  addressing  the  pilot ;  "  and,  Mr. 
O'Brien,"  he  continued,  in  a  lower  tone,  turning  to 
an  officer  who  stood  near,  "  go  down  and  stand  by 
that  howitzer.  Perhaps  there  is  no  treachery  in 
tended,  but  it  is  well  to  be  on  the  safe  side." 

As   soon   as  the  Milwaukee  touched  the  bank, 


72  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

Frank  and  Simpsonvwith  two  others,  sprang  ashore 
with  a  line,  and,  after  making  it  fast  to  a  tree, 
returned  on  board,  and  commenced  pushing  out  a 
plank,  so  that  the  cotton  could  be  easily  rolled  on, 
when,  suddenly,  several  men  rose  from  behind  the 
levee,  and  the  quick  discharge  of  their  rifles  sent 
the  bullets  around  those  standing  on  the  fore 
castle,  like  hailstones ;  and  Simpson,  who  was 
standing  directly  in  front  of  Frank,  uttered  a  sharp 
cry  of  pain,  and  sank  heavily  to  the  deck.  The 
next  moment  the  guerrillas,  with  loud  yells,  sprang 
down  the  bank  in  a  body,  intending  to  board  the 
boat  and  capture  her.  But  they  had  not  taken 
her  so  much  by  surprise  as  they  had  imagined,  for 
a  shell  from  the  howitzer  exploded  in  their  very 
midst,  and  one  of  the  rebels  was  killed,  and  three 
disabled.  The  others  turned  and  hastily  retreated 
behind  the  levee.  Frank  took  advantage  of  this, 
and  lifting  the  insensible  form  of  his  friend,  re 
treated  under  cover,  and  laid  him  on  a  mattress 
behind  a  pile  of  coal,  where  he  would  be  safe 
from  the  bullets  of  the  guerrillas,  which  now  be 
gan  to  come  through  the  sides  of  the  boat  in 
every  direction. 

This  was  the  first  time   Frank  had  ever  been 


73 

under  fire,  and  he  was  thoroughly  frightened ;  but 
he  knew  that  it  was  his  duty  to  resist  the  rebels, 
and  to  do  themjis  much  damage  as  possible ;  so, 
instead  of  looking  round  for  a  safe  place  to  hide^ 
his  first  impulse  was  to  run  up  on  deck  after  a 
j£un,.  This  he  knew  was  a  dangerous  undertaking, 
for  the  vessel  lay  close  to  the  bank,  the  top  of 
which  was  on  a  level  with  the  boiler-deck ;  and 
behind  the  levee,  scarcely  half  a  dozen  rods  dis 
tant,  were  the  guerrillas,  who  were  ready  to  shoot 
the  first  man  that  appeared.  Nevertheless,  Frank 
resolved  to  make  the  attempt,  for  he  wanted 
to  take  revenge  on  them  for  shooting  Simp 
son.  But,  just  as  he  was  about  to  start  out,  he 
heard  the  captain  shout  down  through  the  trum 
pet  which  ran  from  the  pilot-house  to  the  engine- 
room  : 

"  Back  her,  strong !  We  must  get  away  from 
the  bank,  or  they  will  pick  us  all  off." 

In  obedience  to  the  order,  the  engineers  let  on 
the  steam,  and  a  heavy  puffing  told  Frank  that 
the  powerful  engines  were  doing  their  utmost  to 
break  the  line  which  held  them  to  the  bank. 
Here  was  another  thing  that  Frank  knew  he  ought 
to  do ;  he  knew  that  he  ought  to  cut  that  line,  for 


74  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

it  would  be  an  impossibility  to  break  it.  There 
was  an  ax  handy,  and  a  sudden  rush  and  a  couple 
of  lusty  strokes  would  put  the  vessel  out  of  dan 
ger.  But,  at  short  intervals,  he  heard  the  bullets 
crashing  through  the  side  of  the  boat,  and  he 
knew  that  the  guerrillas  were  on  the  watch.  If 
he  made  the  attempt  he  could  scarcely  hope  to 
come  back  alive ;  and  he  thought  of  his  mother 
and  Julia,  how  badly  they  would  feel  when  they 
heard  of  his  death.  But  even  where  he  stood  he 
was  in  danger  of  being  struck  by  the  bullets  that 
were  every  moment  coming  through  the  vessel; 
and  would  not  his  mother  much  rather  hear  that 
he  fell  while  performing  his  duty3  than  that  he  was 
shot  while  standing  idly  by,  taking  no  part  in  the 
fight?  He  did  not  wait  to  take  a  second  thought, 
but  seized  the  ax,  and,  with  one  bound,  reached  the 
gangway  that  led  out  on  to  the  forecastle.  Here 
he  hesitated  again,  but  it  was  only  for  a  moment. 
Clutching  his  ax  with  a  firmer  hold,  and  gathering 
all  his  strength  for  the  trial,  he  sprang  forward, 
and  a  few  rapid  steps  brought  him  to  the  capstan, 
to  which  the  line  was  made  fast.  He  raised  his 
ax,  and  one  swift  blow  severed  the  line,  and  the 
Milwaukee  swung  rapidly  out  from  the  bank 


FRANK   SAVING  THE   BOAT 


FRANK'S  FIRST  EXPLOIT.  75 

Without  waiting  an  instant,  Frank  turned  and 
retreated ;  but,  instead  of  going  back  to  the  place 
where  he  had  left  Simpson,  he  bounded  up  the 
steps  that  led  to  the  boiler-deck,  and  the  next 
moment  was  safe  behind  a  pile  of  baled  clothing. 
His  sudden  appearance  had  taken  the  rebels  com 
pletely  by  surprise,  and  before  they  could  recover 
themselves,  the  line  had  been  cut,  and  the  young 
hero  was  safe.  But  they  had  seen  where  he  had 
taken  refuge,  and,  with  loud  yells  of  disappoint 
ment  and  rage,  sent  their  bullets  about  his 
hiding-place  in  a  perfect  shower.  Frank,  how 
ever,  knowing  that  he  was  safe,  was  not  in  the 
least  alarmed.  Waiting  until  the  fire  slackened  a 
little,  he  sprang  up,  and,  snatching  a  musket  and 
cartridge-box  from  the  rack  which  stood  close  by 
the  door  of  the  cabin,  was  back  to  his  hiding- 
place  in  a  moment. 

"  Now,"  he  soliloquized,  "  we  are  on  more 
equal  terms.  Better  keep  close,  or  I  '11  drop 
some  of  you.'7 

In  his  cool,  sober  moments,  Frank  would  have 
shuddered  at  the  thought  of  taking  the  life  of  a 
fellow-being ;  but  he  had  seen  Simpson  shot  down 


76  FRANK   ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

before  his  eyes — perhaps  killed;  and  is  it  to  be 
wondered  that  he  wished  to  avenge  his  fall? 

It  was  some  time  before  Frank  could  get  an 
opportunity  to  use  his  musket;  for  if  he  exposed 
the  smallest  portion  of  his  body,  it  was  the  signal 
for  his  watchful  enemies,  who  sent  the  bullets 
about  him  in  unpleasant  proximity.  In  spite  of 
his  dangerous  situation,  he  could  not  help  think 
ing  that  the  rebels  were  very  proficient  in  "  In 
dian  fighting,"  for,  with  all  his  watchfulness,  he 
could  not  get  an  opportunity  to  put  in  a  shot.  All 
he  could  see  of  his  enemies  would  be,  first,  a  rifle 
thrust  carefully  over  the  levee,  then  a  very  small 
portion  of  a  head  would  appear,  and  the  bullet 
would  come  straight  to  the  mark. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Milwaukee  was  working 
her  way  out  into  the  stream,  and  the  rebels,  finding 
that  their  fire  was  not  returned,  grew  bolder  by 
degrees,  and  became  less  careful  to  conceal  them 
selves.  This  was  what  Frank  wanted;  but  he 
reserved  his  fire  until  a  tall  rebel  rose  to  his  full 
hight  from  behind  the  levee,  fired  his  gun,  and 
stood  watching  the  effect  of  the  shot.  Frank's 
musket  was  at  his  shoulder  in  an  instant,  his  finger 


FRANK'S  FIRST  EXPLOIT.  77 

pressed  the  trigger,  and  the  rebel  staggered  for  a 
moment,  and  disappeared  behind  the  levee. 

"There,"  said  Frank  to  himself,  "that's  what 
Simpson  would  call  'squaring  the  yards.'  I'm 
even  with  the  rascals  now." 

The  rebels  answered  the  shot  with  loud  yells, 
and  their  bullets  fell  thicker  than  ever;  but  the 
Milwaukee  was  almost  out  of  range,  and,  in  a  few 
moments,  the  firing  ceased  altogether. 


78 


FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


the  Milwaukee  was  fairly  out 
of  range  of  the  bullets  of  the  guer 
rillas,  Frank  put  his  gun  back  in  the 
rack,  and  started  in  search  of  the 
doctor's  steward.  He  ran  into  the 
cabin  without  ceremony,  and  was 
about  to  enter  the  steward's  room, 
when  he  discovered  a  pair  of  patent-leather  boots, 
which  he  thought  he  recognized,  sticking  out  from 
under  a  mattress  which  lay  on  the  cabin  floor;  and, 
upon  examination,  he  found  that  it  concealed  the 
steward,  who  was  as  pale  as  a  sheet,  and  shaking 
as  though  he  had  been  seized  with  the  ague. 

"  What  do  you  want  here  ?  "  he  asked,  in  a  trem 
bling  voice,  as  Frank  raised  the  mattress. 

u  Simpson  is    shot,"   answered  Frank,  "  and  J 
w.ould  like  to  have  you  come  down  and  see  him." 


ON   A   GUN-BOAT.  79 

"  Do  you  suppose  I  am  fool  enough  to  go  out  on 
deck,  and  run  the  risk  of  being  shot?  No,  sir;  I  '11 
stay  here,  where  I  am  safe ; "  and  the  steward  made 
an  effort  to  draw  his  head  under  the  mattress  again. 

"There's  no  danger  now,"  said  Frank;  "the 
rebels  have  stopped  firing.  Besides,  we  are  out 
of"— 

"Go  away,  and  let  me  alone,"  whined  the  stew 
ard.  "  I  am  not  going  to  expose  myself." 

"  You  're  a  coward,"  exclaimed  Frank,  now  fairly 
aroused.  "  But  I  guess  the  captain  can  " — 

"  Oh,  do  n't,"  entreated  the  steward  ;  "  I  have  n't 
been  here  a  minute.  I  started  to  get  a  gun,  to  pay 
the  rebels  back  in  their  own  coin ;  but  the  bullets 
came  through  the.  cabin  so  thick  that  I  thought  it 
best  to  retreat  to  a  safe  place;"  and  the  steward 
threw  off  the  mattress,  and  arose,  tremblingly,  to 
his  feet. 

"You  went  after  a  gun,  did  you?"  inquired 
Frank,  in  a  tone  of  voice  which  showed  that  he  did 
not  believe  the  steward's  story. 

"  Yes ;  and  I  would  have  given  them  fits,  for  I 
am  a  dead  shot." 

"  Where  did  you  put  your  gun  when  you  found 
that  you  had  to  retreat?" 


80  FRANK   ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

-  "  I  put  it  back  in  the  rack  again/' 

This  was  a  likely  story;  for  a  person  as  badly 
frightened  as  was  the  steward  would  not  have 
stopped  to  put  the  gun  back  in  its  place ;  and,  in 
his  heart,  Frank  despised  the  man  wrho  could  be 
guilty  of  such  a  falsehood. 

As  they  were  about  to  go  out  on  deck,  the  steward 
drew  back,  exclaiming : 

"  I  do  n't  hardly  believe  it  is  safe  to  go  out  there 
just  yet.  Let  us  wait  a  few  moments." 

"  I  shan't  wait  an  instant,"  said  Frank.  "  Simp 
son  has  been  neglected  too  long  already.  You  can 
come  down  and  attend  to  him,  or  not,  just  as  you 
please."  So  saying,  he  opened  the  cabin  door, 
and  walking  rapidly  out,  descended  the  stairs  that 
led  to  the  main  deck. 

The  steward  dreaded  to  follow;  but  he  knew 
that,  if  he  did  not  attend  the  wounded  sailor,  he 
would  be  reported  to  the  captain,  who,  although  a 
kind-hearted  man,  was  a  strict  disciplinarian,  and 
one  who  always  took  particular  pains  to  see  that 
his  crew  was  well  provided  for.  He  dared  not 
hesitate  long;  so,  drawing  in  a  long  breath,  he 
ran  swiftly  out  on  deck,  and  disappeared  down  the 
stairs  like  a  shot. 


ON   A    GUN-BOAT.  81 

Frank  found  Simpson  sitting  upon  the  mattress 
where  he  had  been  lain,  with  his  elbows  on  his 
knees,  and  his  head  supported  by  his  hands.  As 
Frank  came  up,  he  said,  in  a  weak  voice  : 

"  I  came  very  near  losing  the  number  of  my 
mess,  did  n't  I  ?  The  rascals  shot  pretty  close  to 
me  ; "  and  he  showed  Frank  an  ugly-looking  wound 
in  the  back  of  his  head,  from  which  the  blood  was 
flowing  profusely. 

By  this  time  the  steward  arrived.  After  exam 
ining  the  wound,  he  pronounced  it  very  severe, 
and  one  that  would  require  constant  attention. 

Simpson  was  speedily  conveyed  to  the  sick  bay, 
and  every  thing  possible  done  to  make  him  com 
fortable.  Although  the  Milwaukee  was  completely 
riddled  by  the  bullets  of  the  guerrillas,  he  was  the 
only  one  hurt.  Frank  was  excused  from  all  duty, 
that  he  might  act  as  Simpson's  nurse;  and  he 
scarcely  left  him  for  a  moment  during  the  two 
weeks  of  fever  and  delirium  that  followed.  By  the 
time  they  reached  Cairo,  however,  he  was  pro 
nounced  out  of  danger. 

Frank  wanted  very  much  to  see  his  cousin ;  but 
the  Milwaukee  was  anchored  out  in  the  river,  and 
no  one  was  allowed  to  go  ashore.  One  afternoon, 
6 


82  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

as  he  sat  by  his  friend's  hammock,  reading  aloud  a 
letter  from  Harry  Butler,  in  which  he  gave  a  vivid 
description  of  a  late  battle  in  which  his  regiment 
had  participated,  the  orderly  entered  and  informed 
him  that  the  captain  wished  to  see  him.  He  fol 
lowed  the  orderly,  and,  as  he  entered  the  cabin,  the 
captain  said : 

"  Please  help  yourself  to  a  chair,  Mr.  Nelson ; 
I  shall  be  at  liberty  in  a  moment.  I  should  like  to 
finish  this  letter  before  the  mail-steamer  sails.  You 
will  excuse  me,  will  you  not?" 

"  Certainly,  sir,"  answered  Frank ;  and  he  seated 
himself,  lost  in  wonder. 

The  captain  had  addressed  him  as  Mr.  Nelson, 
while  heretofore  he  had  always  been  called,  by  the 
officers,  Nelson,  or  Frank.  What  could  it  mean* 
The  captain  had  always  treated  him  with  the  great 
est  kindness ;  but,  since  the  engagement  with  the 
guerrillas,  all  the  officers  had  shown  him  more  con 
sideration  than  ever.  He  had  noticed  the  change, 
and  wondered  at  it. 

At  length  the  captain,  after  hastily  directing  the 
letter  he  had  written,  and  giving  it  in  charge  of  the 
orderly,  took  an  official  document  from  his  desk, 
Baying,  as  he  did  so : 


ON   A    GUN-BOAT.  83 

"  I  am  greatly  pleased,  Mr.  Nelson,  to  be  able 
to  give  you  this,  for  you  deserve  it;"  and  after 
unfolding  the  letter,  he  gave  it  to  Frank,  who  read 
as  follows : 


NAVY  DEPARTMENT,     •> 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  Dec.  18,  18G2.  j 

SIR:  For  your  gallantry  in  the  late  action  at  Cypress 
Bend,  on  the  Ist-inst,  you  are  hereby  appointed  an  Acting 
Master's  Mate  in  the  Navy  of  the  United  States,  on  tempo 
rary  service.  Eeport,  without  delay,  to  Acting  Rear-Ad 
miral  David  D.  Porter,  for  such  duty  as  he  may  assign  you. 
Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

GIDEON  WELLES, 
Secretary  of  the  Navy. 
Acting  Master's  Mate  FRANK  NELSON, 

8.  S.  Milwaukee,  Mississippi  Squadron. 


"Well,"  said  the  captain,  after  Frank  had  read 
the  letter  over  three  times,  to  make  sure  that  he 
was  not  dreaming,  and  that  he  was  really  an  officer, 
"  what  do  you  think  of  it  ? " 

"  I  hardly  know  what  to  think,  sir,"  answered 
Frank.  "  It  is  an  honor  I  did  not  expect." 

"  Very  likely,"  said  the  captain,  with  a  laugh ; 
"  but  you  deserve  it.  If  it  had  n't  been  for  you, 
we  should  all  have  been  captured.  I  saw  the 
whole  of  the  transaction  from  the  pilot-house." 

"It  was  my  duty  to  do  it,  sir." 


84  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

"  It  was  a  brave  act,  call  it  what  else  you  will 
Now  go  and  give  this  to  the  paymaster,"  contin 
ued  the  captain,  handing  Frank  an  order  for  the 
settlement  of  his  accounts,  "and  then  go  imme 
diately  and  report  to  the  Admiral." 

Frank  left  the  captain,  a  good  deal  elated  at  his 
success;  and  when  he  approached  Simpson,  the 
latter  exclaimed: 

"What  is  it,  my  hearty?     Your  promotion?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Frank;  "read  that;"  and  he 
handed  his  appointment  to  his  friend,  who  said : 

"  I  knew  you  would  get  it.  The  captain  is  n't 
the  man  to  let  such  a  thing  as  you  did  at  Cypress 
Bend  pass  unnoticed.  Give  us  your  nipper,  my 
boy ;  I  'm  glad  to  see  you  an  officer."  And  the 
brave  fellow  actually  shed  tears,  as  he  shook 
Frank's  hand.  "Now,  when  you  are  ordered  to 
your  ship,"  he  continued,  "I  wish  you  would  speak 
a  word  for  me.  I  am  very  well  contented  here, 
but  I  had  much  rather  sail  with  you." 

Frank  promised  to  do  his  best,  and,  after  put 
ting  on  his  "  shore  togs,"  as  Simpson  called  them, 
and  giving  the  captain's  order  to  the  paymaster,  he 
started  off  to  report  to  the  Admiral. 

When  he  arrived  on  board  the  flag-ship,  he  was 


ON   A   GUN-BOAT.  85 

met  by  the  officer  of  the  deck,  who  inquired  his 
business. 

"I  wish  to  see  the  Admiral,  sir,"  answered 
Frank ;  "  I  am  ordered  to  report  to  him." 

The  officer  immediately  led  the  way  aft,  and 
showed  Frank  a  marine  standing  at  the  door  of 
the  cabin,  who  took  his  name  and  disappeared.  In 
a  moment  he  returned,  and  informed  Frank  that  the 
Admiral  was  waiting  to  see  him. 

He  entered  the  cabin,  and  handed  his  appoint 
ment  to  the  Admiral,  who,  after  reading  it,  said : 

"  So,  you  are  the  young  man  that  saved  the  Mil 
waukee,  are  you  ?  Take  a  chair,  sir." 

In  a  few  moments  his  orders  to  report,  without 
delay,  on  board  the  Ticonderoga,  were  ready ;  and 
as  the  Admiral  handed  them  to  him,  he  said : 

"  Now,  young  man,  you  will  be  on  a  ship  where 
you  will  have  a  chance  to  distinguish  yourself.  I 
shall  expect  to  hear  a  good  account  of  you." 

"  I  shall  always  endeavor  to  do  my  duty,  sir," 
answered  Frank ;  and  he  made  his  best  bow  and 
retired. 

When  he  returned  to  the  Milwaukee,  his  accounts 
had  all  been  made  out.  After  the  paymaster 
had  paid  him  up  in  full,  Frank  started  for  the 


86  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

nearest  clothing-store,  and  when  he  came  out,  he 
was  changed  into  a  fine-looking  officer. 

He  immediately  directed  his  steps  toward  the 
naval  wharf-boat,  where  he  found  a  lively  little 
fellow,  who  seemed  full  of  business,  superintending 
the  loading  of  a  vessel  with  provisions.  It  was 
Archie  Winters ;  but  it  was  plain  that  he  did  not 
recognize  his  cousin  in  his  new  uniform,  for  Frank 
stood  close  behind  him,  several  moments,  and 
Archie  even  brushed  against  him,  as  he  passed. 

"  Can  you  tell  me,  sir,  where  I  can  find  Mr 
Winters?"  inquired  Frank,  at  length. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Archie,  promptly,  looking 
his  cousin  full  in  the  face  ;  "  I  'm  the — why,  Frank, 
how  are  you?"  and  he  seized  his  cousin's  hand, 
and  shook  it  heartily.  "  I  Jve  been  on  board  the 
Milwaukee  twice  this  morning,  but  you  were  oif 
somewhere.  I  heard  you  had  a  fight  down  the 
river,  with  the  rebels.  But  what  are  you  doing? 
What  boat  are  you  ordered  to?" 

"I  am  not  doing  any  thing  at  present,"  an 
swered  Frank;  "but  I  am  ordered  to  report  on 
board  the  Ticonderoga." 

"  There  she  is,"  said  Archie,  pointing  to  a  long, 
low,  black  vessel  that  lay  alongside  of  the  wharf- 


ON   A   GUN-BOAT.  87 

boat.  "  I  am  just  putting  provisions  on  board  of 
her.  I  '11  come  and  see  you  as  soon  as  I  get  my 
work  done." 

Frank  went  on  board  his  vessel,  where  he  was 
received  by  the  officer  of  the  deck,  who  showed  him 
the  way  into  the  cabin.  After  the  captain  had  in 
dorsed  his  orders,  he  strolled  leisurely  about  the 
ship,  examining  into  every  thing,  for  as  yet  he 
knew  nothing  of  gun-boat  life. 

The  Ticonderoga  was  a  queer-looking  craft. 
She  was  not  exactly  a  Monitor;  but  she  had  a  tur 
ret  forward,  and  mounted  two  eleven-inch  guns 
and  four  twelve-pounder  howitzers.  She  had  a 
heavy  iron  ram  on  her  bow,  and  the  turret  was 
protected  by  three  inches  of  iron,  and  the  deck 
with  two  inches.  It  did  not  seem  possible  that  a 
cannon-ball  could  make  any  impression  on  her 
thick  armor. 

The  officers'  quarters  were  all  below  decks  ;  and, 
although  it  was  then  the  middle  of  winter,  Frank 
found  it  rather  uncomfortable  in  his  bunk. 

During  the  two  weeks  that  elapsed  before  the 
ship  was  ready  to  sail,  the  time  was  employed  in 
getting  every  thing  in  order — in  drilling  at  the 
great  guns,  and  with  muskets  and  broad-swords. 


88  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

Most  of  the  crew  were  old  seamen,  who  under 
stood  their  duty;  and  by  the  time  their  sailing 
orders  came,  every  thing  moved  like  clock-work. 

In  the  mean  time  Frank  had  been  assigned  his 
station,  which — being  the  youngest  officer  on  board 
the  ship — was  to  command  the  magazine.  He 
learned  very  rapidly,  and,  as  he  was  always  atten 
tive  to  his  duties,  he  grew  in  favor  with  both  officers 
and  men. 

At  length,  one  afternoon,  the  anchor  was  weighed, 
and  the  Ticonderoga  steamed  down  the  river.  Her 
orders  were  to  report  to  the  Admiral,  who  had 
sailed  from  Cairo  about  a  week  previous.  They 
found  him  at  Arkansas  Post,  where  they  arrived 
too  late  to  take  part  in  the  fight.  In  a  few  days 
a  station  was  assigned  to  her  in  the  Mississippi 
River;  and  the  Ticonderoga  immediately  se>  sail, 
in  obedience  to  orders. 


THE   STRUGGLE    BETWEEN    TIIE    LINEB.          89 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


NE  day,  about  two  weeks  after  they 
came  out  of  Arkansas  River,  the  Ti- 
conderoga  stopped  at  Smith's  Landing 
to  take  on  wood,  as  her  supply  of  coal 
had  run  short.     The  vessel  was  made 
fast  to  the  bank,  and,  while  the  seamen 
were  bringing  in  the  wood,  the  paymas 
ter's  steward  called  Frank's  attention  to  some  cat 
tle  which  were  feeding  on  the  bank,  and  remarked  : 
"  I  wish  we  could  go  out  and  shoot  one  of  them." 
"  So  do  I,"  said  Frank  ;  "  I  've  eaten  salt  pork 
until  I  am  tired  of  it.     Let's  go  and  ask  the  cap 
tain." 

"  I  'm  agreed,"  said  the  steward. 
The   captain  was  walking  on  deck  at  the  time, 
and   his   permission  was   readily  obtained,  for  he 
himself  had  grown  tired  of  ship's  pork;   Frank, 


90  FRANK   ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

accompanied  by  the  steward,  and  a  seaman  whc 
was  an  expert  butcher,  started  out.  They  were 
armed  with  muskets,  and,  as  they  were  all  good 
shots,  and  did  not  wish  to  kill  more  than  enough 
to  feed  the  ship's  company  once,  they  took  with 
them  no  ammunition  besides  what  was  in  the  guns. 
At  the  place  where  the  Ticonderoga  was  lying,  the 
levee — an  embankment  about  six  feet  high,  built  to 
prevent  the  water  from  overflowing — ran  back  into 
the  woods  about  half  a  mile,  then,  making  a  bend 
like  a  horse-shoe,  came  back  to  the  river  again, 
inclosing  perhaps  a  dozen  acres  of  low,  swampy 
land ;  and  it  was  in  this  swamp  that  the  cattle 
were.  They  proved  to  be  very  wild ;  but,  after  a 
considerable  run,  Frank  succeeded  in  bringing 
down  one,  and  the  steward  and  seaman  finally 
killed  another.  The  question  now  was,  how  to  get 
the  meat  on  board  the  vessel.  While  they  were 
debating  on  the  matter,  they  were  startled  by  the 
clatter  of  horses'  hoofs  on  the  levee ;  and,  instead 
of  drawing  back  into  the  bushes,  out  of  sight, 
they  very  imprudently  waited  to  see  who  the 
horsemen  were.  Presently,  a  party  of  guerrillas, 
to  their  utter  amazement — for  they  had  not  dreamed 
that  the  rebels  were  so  near  them  —galloped  up. 


THE    STRUGGLE    BETWEEN    THE    LINES.  91 

Tlie  rebels  discovered  them  at  the  same  moment, 
and  one  of  them  exclaimed  • 

"  I  '11  be  dog-gone  if  thar  ain't  a  Yank ; "  and, 
not  knowing  how  many  there  might  be  of  the 
"Yanks,"  they  very  prudently  drew  up  their 
horses.  One  of  them,  however,  who  appeared  to 
be  the  leader  of  the  band,  comprehended  their  sit 
uation  at  a  glance,  and  exclaimed : 

"  Throw  down  your  arms,  and  you  shall  be 
treated  like  men!" 

This  brought  them  to  their  senses,  and  they 
turned  and  ran  for  their  lives.  They  had  scarcely 
made  a  dozen  steps  before  the  bullets  and  buck 
shot  began  to  rattle  about  their  ears;  but  the 
trees  and  bushes  were  so  thick  that  they  escaped 
unhurt.  Frank  reached  the  vessel  far  in  advance 
of  the  others ;  as  he  came  over  the  side,  panting 
and  excited,  the  captain,  who  was  still  on  deck, 
inquired : 

"What's  the  matter,  Mr.  Nelson?" 

"We  ran  foul  of  some  guerrillas  out  there  in 
the  woods,  sir,"  replied  Frank. 

"How  many  of  them  did  you  see?" 

"  They  did  n't  give  us  much  of  a  chance  to 
judge  of  their  numbers,  sir;  but  I  should  say 


92  FRANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

* 

that  there  were  at  least  a  dozen  of  them,  and  they 
were  coming  this  way.  I  should  n't  wonder  if  they 
intended  to  pick  off  some  of  the  men  who  are  car 
rying  in  wood." 

"  Mr.  Hurd,"  said  the  captain,  turning  to  the 
executive  officer,  "  take  thirty  men,  who  are  good 
shots,  and  go  out  there  and  keep  those  fellows  off. 
Mr.  Nelson  will  go  with  you." 

Frank  accordingly  ran  below,  and  armed  himself 
with  a  revolver  and  musket,  and  buckled  on  a 
cartridge-box.  When  the  men  were  ready,  he  led 
the  way,  along  the  levee,  so  that,  if  the  guer 
rillas  were  advancing,  they  would  be  certain  to 
meet  them.  But  they  saw  no  signs  of  them  until 
they  came  within  sight  of  a  barn  which  stood  in 
the  woods,  about  a  mile  from  the  river.  The  rebels 
were  gathered  before  it,  as  if  in  consultation,  and 
greeted  the  approach  of  the  sailors  with  a  scatter 
ing  volley  of  musketry,  which  whistled  harmlessly 
over  their  heads,  or  plowed  up  the  ground  before 
them. 

"  Give  'em  a  shot,  boys,"  said  the  executive 
officer,  "  and  then  scatter,  and  let  each  man  take 
to  a  tree  and  fight  Indian  fashion." 

The  sailors  wheeled  into  line  with  all  the  prompt- 


THE    STRUGGLE   BETWEEN   THE   LINES.          93 

ness  and  regularity  of  veteran  troops;  and  before 
the  smoke  of  their  muskets  cleared  away,  they  had 
disappeared,  like  a  flock  of  young  partridges.  The 
rebels  had  also  treed,  and  the  skirmish  was  con 
tinued  for  half  an  hour,  without  any  damage  being 
done  to  either  party. 

This  style  of  fighting  did  not  suit  Frank,  and  he 
began  to  urge  the  executive  officer  to  advance,  and 
drive  them  from  their  position.  But  the  officer  did 
not  think  it  safe  to  attempt  it ;  for,  although  he  had 
seen  but  a  small  number  of  the  rebels,  he  did  not 
know  how  many  there  might  be  hidden  away  in  the 
bushes. 

"Well,  then,"  said  Frank,  after  thinking  a  mo 
ment,  "  I  have  another  proposition  to  make.  If 
you  will  give  me  ten  men,  and  engage  the  rebels 
warmly  in  front,  I  '11  go  and  get  that  fresh  beef." 

"  Where  did  you  leave  it  ?  "  inquired  the  officer. 

"  In  the  woods,  about  three  hundred  yards  to  the 
left  of  where  the  rebels  now  are." 

"  Very  well ;  pick  out  your  men,  and  go  ahead." 

Frank  accordingly  selected  the  boatswain's  mate, 
an  old,  gray -headed  man,  who  had  been  in  the  navy 
from  boyhood,  as  his  first  lieutenant,  and  ordered 
him  to  call  for  volunteers. 


94  FRANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

If  there  is  any  thing  a  sailor  admires,  it  is 
bravery  in  an  officer.  Every  one  on  board  the  Ti- 
conderoga,  from  the  captain  down,  was  acquainted 
with  Frank's  gallant  behavior  at  Cypress  Bend, 
although  he  himself  had  never  said  a  word  about 
jjij  and  this,  together  with  his  uniform  kindness 
toward  the  men  under  his  command,  and  the  re 
spect  he  always  showed  his  brother  officers,  had 
made  him  very  popular  with  the  ship's  company ; 
and  when  the  mate — who  was  never  better  pleased 
than  when  he  could  do  Frank  a  service — passed 
the  word  along  the  line  that  Mr.  Nelson  had  called 
for  volunteers,  the  men  flocked  around  him  in  all 
directions.  The  mate  quickly  selected  the  required 
number,  and  Frank  led  them  toward  the  place 
where  they  had  left  the  beef. 

The  woods  were  very  thick,  and,  of  course,  the 
rebels,  who  were  hidden  in  the  bushes,  on  the  other 
side  of  the  levee,  knew  nothing  of  what  was  going 
on.  Frank  sent  two  of  his  men  to  the  levee,  to 
watch  the  motions  of  the  rebels,  with  orders  not  to 
fire  unless  they  attempted  to  advance;  and  then 
pulled  off  his  coat,  and  set  to  work,  with  the  others, 
cutting  up  the  beef.  This  was  soon  accomplished ; 
and,  after  getting  it  all  ready  to  carry  to  the  vessel, 


THE    STRUGGLE    BETWEEN   THE    LINES.  95 

Frank,  after  consulting  with  the  mate,  concluded 
that  the  rebels  ought  to  be  punished  for  what  they 
had  done,  and  lit  determined  to  try  the  effect  of  a 
cross-fire  upon  them. 

lie  cautiously  advanced  his  men  to  the  levee, 
when  he  found  that  the  rebels  had  been  growing 
bolder ;  and  one  of  them,  who  was  mounted  on  a 
powerful  iron-gray  horse,  would  frequently  ride  out 
from  his  concealment,  and  advance  toward  the 
place  where  the  men  under  the  executive  officer 
were  stationed,  coolly  deliver  his  fire,  and  then 
retreat  out  of  range  of  their  guns,  to  reload. 

"  Now,  boys/'  said  Frank,  "  if  that  fellow  tries 
that  again,  I  '11  put  a  stopper  on  his  shooting  for 
awhile." 

The  rebel,  who,  of  course,  was  entirely  ignorant 
of  the  proximity  of  Frank's  party,  soon  reappeared, 
and  rode  rapidly  down  the  levee,  until  he  came 
directly  opposite  the  place  where  Frank  and  his 
men  were  concealed,  and  then  drew  up  his  horse, 
and  settled  himself  in  his  saddle,  for  a  good  shot. 
But  at  that  instant  the  report  of  Frank's  musket 
echoed  through  the  woods,  and  the  horse  on  which 
the  rebel  was  mounted  fell  to  the  ground,  with  a 
bullet  in  his  brain.  Before  the  astonished  guer« 


96  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

rilla  could  extricate  himself  from  the  saddle,  Frank, 
with  more  recklessness  than  prudence,  had  bounded 
out  of  his  concealment,  and  seized  him  by  the  collar 
with  one  hand,  at  the  same  time  attempting  to 
draw  his  revolver  with  the  other. 

"  You  're  my  prisoner  ! "  he  exclaimed. 

But  the  rebel  had  no  sooner  regained  his  feet, 
than  he  seized  Frank  around  the  body,  and,  lifting 
him  from  his  feet,  threw  him  heavily  to  the  ground. 
Frank's  revolver  had  become  entangled  in  his  belt 
in  such  a  manner  that  he  could  not  draw  it,  and 
he  now  saw  how  foolhardy  he  had  been,  for  his 
antagonist  was  a  man  of  almost  twice  his  size,  and 
possessed  of  enormous  strength.  But  Frank  still 
retained  his  presence  of  mind,  and,  in  falling,  he 
managed  to  catch  the  rebel  by  the  hair,  and  pulled 
him  to  the  ground  with  him.  He  clung  to  him  with 
a  death-grip,  and  the  guerrilla,  after  trying  in  vain 
to  break  his  hold,  attempted  to  draw  a  knife  from 
his  belt.  Frank  seized  it  at  the  same  moment,  when 
each  used  all  his  skill  and  strength  to  obtain  pos 
session  of  it. 

Both  parties  gazed  in  utter  amazement,  as  this 
singular  struggle  went  on,  and  neither  dared  to 
fire  a  shot,  for  fear  of  hitting  their  own  man.  At 


THE    STRUGGLE    BETWEEN    THE    LINES.  97 

length  the  mate,  who,  with  his  men,  had  watched 
the  progress  of  the  conflict,  with  their  feelings 
worked  up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  excitement,  dis 
covered  that  the  rebel,  by  his  superior  strength, 
was  gaining  the  advantage ;  and  he  knew  that  the 
only  way  to  save  his  officer  was  to  drive  the  rebels 
from  their  position. 

"  Steady  there,  lads ! "  he  exclaimed;  "  fix  bayo 
nets.  '' 

The  order  was  promptly  obeyed. 

u  Ready,  now !  Aim !  Fire  !  Charge  bayonets  ! 
Forward,  double-quick ! " 

The  sailors  broke  from  their  concealment  with 
a  loud  yell,  and  rushed  toward  the  rebel  line. 
They  were  soon  overtaken  by  the  men  under  com 
mand  of  the  executive  officer,  who,  not  wishing  to 
be  outdone  by  their  comrades,  had  come  to  their 
assistance. 

The  rebels  were  taken  completely  by  surprise, 
and,  after  delivering  a  straggling  fire,  rapidly  re 
treated. 

The  charge  made  by  the  sailors  infused  new 
courage  into  Frank,  who  increased  his  exertions, 
and  struggled  furiously  for  the  possession  of  the 
knife. 

7 


98  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

"Hold  on,"  exclaimed  the  rebel;  "I'll  sur 
render,  if  you  will  promise  me  kind  treatment." 

"  I  guess  you'll  surrender  any  way,"  said  Frank ; 
"  and  you  may  be  sure  that  you  will  be  well  treated." 

"  Let  go  my  hair,  then,"  said  the  rebel ;  "  and 
let  me  get  up." 

Frank  accordingly  released  his  hold,  and  the 
rebel  rose  to  his  feet,  and  was  immediately  seized 
by  the  mate,  who,  with  his  men,  was  just  returning 
from  the  pursuit  of  the  rebels. 

After  the  prisoner  had  delivered  up  his  weapons, 
they  marched  back  to  the  place  where  they  had 
left  the  beef,  and  then  started  for  the  vessel. 

Every  one  was  soon  made  acquainted  with  the 
particulars  of  the  fight,  and  Frank  was  again  the 
hero  of  the  mess-room. 


A    UNION   FAMILY.  99 


CHAPTER  IX. 


.FTER  two  days'  sail,  the  Ticondc- 
roga  arrived  at  Phillips's  Landing, 
where  she  had  been  ordered  to  take 
her  station ;  for  the  Admiral  had  re 
ceived  information  that  the  rebel  Gen 
eral    Marmaduke   was    preparing   to 
cross   the   river,  with   his   forces,  at 
that  place 

They  came  to  anchor  in  front  of  a  large  planta 
tion,  owned  by  the  man  after  whom  the  place  was 
named.  In  a  short  time,  a  boat,  rowed  by  tw) 
stout  negroes,  and  which  contained  two  ladies  and 
a  gentleman,  came  alongside. 

The  captain  received  them,  as  they  came  upon 
the  quarter-deck,  and  the  gentleman,  after  intro 
ducing  himself  as  Mr.  Phillips,  and  apologizing  for 
the  liberty  they  had  taken  in  coming  on  board, 


100  FRANK   ON  A   GUN-BOAT. 

asked  if  the  captain  could  furnish  them  with  some 
Northern  papers.  They  lived  in  an  out-of-the-way 
place,  he  said,  where  boats  seldom  landed,  for  fear 
of  the  guerrillas,  and  they  were  entirely  ignorant 
of  what  was  going  on. 

The  captain  seemed  much  pleased  with  his  vis 
itors.  After  complying  with  their  request,  he 
conducted  them  down  into  the  cabin,  where  they 
passed  an  hour  in  conversation.  When  they  were 
about  to  take  their  departure,  they  invited  the  cap 
tain  and  his  officers  to  call  on  them,  and  assured 
them  that  there  were  no  rebels  in  the  vicinity. 

The  captain  was  an  old  sailor,  and  had  been  in 
the  service  so  long  that  he  was  inclined  to  be  sus 
picious  of  any  thing  that  looked  like  friendship  on 
the  part  of  a  person  living  in  an  enemy's  country. 
But,  after  calling  on  Mr.  Phillips's  family  a  few 
times,  without  discovering  any  thing  to  confirm  his 
suspicions,  he  allowed  both  officers  and  men  to  go 
ashore  at  all  times ;  and  soon  quite  an  intimacy 
sprung  up  between  them  and  the  people  of  the 
plantation,  and  dinner  parties  and  horseback  rides, 
were  the  order  of  the  day. 

Frank  had  been  elected  caterer  of  his  mess,  and 
as  he  was  obliged  to  furnish  provisions,  he  had  a 


A    UNION   FAMILY.  101 

good  excuse  for  being  ashore  most  of  his  time. 
He  became  a  regular  visitor  at  the  plantation,  and 
was  soon  well  acquainted  with  each  member  of  the 
family.  They  all  professed  to  be  unconditional 
Union  people,  with  the  exception  of  the  youngest 
daughter,  who  boldly  stated  that  her  sympathies 
were,  and  always  had  -been,  with  the  South ;  and 
she  and  Frank  had  many  a  long  argument  about 
the  war. 

Things  went  on  thus  for  a  considerable  time, 
when,  early  one  morning,  as  Frank  was  on  his  way 
to  the  plantation,  to  buy  his  marketing,  a  negro 
met  him,  as  he  was  ascending  the  hill  that  led  to 
the  quarters,  and  said : 

"  I  'd  like  to  speak  just  one  word  with  you, 
young  master." 

"Well,  what  is  it,  uncle?"  said  Frank;  "talk 
away." 

"  Let  us  move  out  this  way  first,  for  I  do  n't 
want  them  to  see  us  from  the  house." 

Frank  followed  the  negro  behind  one  of  the 
cabins,  and  the  latter  continued: 

"  1 7m  afraid  you  and  all  the  officers  on  your 
boat  will  be  captured  one  of  these  days." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  inquired  Frank,  in  sur- 


102  FRANK    ON    A   GUN-BOAT. 

prise,  half  inclined  to  think  that  the  negro  was 
crazy. 

"  I  suppose  you  do  n't  know  that  my  master  and 
mistress,  and  all  the  white  folks  on  the  plantation, 
are  rebels,  do  you  ? " 

"  No ;  and  I  do  n't  believe  they  are." 

"  Yes,  they  are.  My  master  is  a  Major  in  the 
rebel  army ;  and  that  Miss  Annie  you  come  to  see 
every  day  has  got  a  sweetheart  in  the  army,  and 
she  tells  him  every  thing  you  say.  Besides,  they 
send  a  mail  across  the  river,  here,  twice  every 
month.  I  took  one  across  myself,  night  before 
last." 

"  I  believe  you  're  lying  to  me,  you  old  rascal," 
exclaimed  Frank. 

"  No,  young  master,"  answered  the  negro ; 
"every  word  I  have  told  you  is  gospel  truth. 
You  see,  my  daughter  waits  on  Miss  Annie,  and 
I  find  out  every  thing." 

"  You  say  Miss  Phillips  has  a  sweetheart  in  the 
army  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  and  he  was  here  to  see  her  not  long  ago. 
He  is  a  lieutenant,  and  has  gone  up  to  Conway's 
Point,  with  two  cannons,  to  fire  into  steamers. 
His  name  is  Miller  ;  and  you  would  know  him  from 


A    UNION   FAMILY. 

a  long  scar  on  his  left  cheek.  Was  n't  Miss  An 
nie  on  board  your  boat  two  days  ago?" 

"  Yes,  I  believe  so." 

"  Well,  she  stole  a  book.' 

"A  book!"  repeated  Frank.  "What  kind  of 
a  book?" 

"  I  do  n't  know  the  name  of  it.  It  was  a  small 
book,  and  had  lead  fastened  to  the  covers." 

~"  By  gracious ! "  exclaimed  Frank,  "  that  was  the 
captain's  signal-book." 

"  Yes ;  she  told  my  daughter  that  she  took  it  out 
of  the  captain's  room." 

Frank  did  not  stop  to  buy  any  marketing,  but 
hastily  catching  up  his  basket,  he  hurried  back  to 
the  vessel. 

"  Orderly,"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  approached  the 
marine  who  always  stood  at  the  cabin  door,  "ask 
the  captain  if  I  may  see  him." 

"  He  has  n't  got  up  yet,  sir." 

"  That  makes  no  difference.  Tell  him  t-hat  I 
have  something  particular  to  say  to  him." 

The  orderly  went  into  the  cabin,  and,  in  a  few 
moments,  returned,  and  said  : 

"  The  captain  says  walk  in,  sir." 

"  Captain,"  said  Frank,  after  he  had  closed  the 


104  FRANK    ON    A   GUN-BOAT. 

door  carefully  behind  him,  "  have  you  lost  your 
signal-book  ?" 

"No,  I  guess  not;"  answered  the  captain,  in  a 
tone  of  surprise.  "What  makes  you  ask?" 

"  I  heard,  a  few  moments  ago,  that  it  had  been 
stolen  from  you." 

"I  have  not  had  occasion  to  use  it  for  two  or 
three  weeks,"  answered  the  captain,  getting  out  of 
bed;  "but  I  know  exactly  where  I  put  it;"  and 
he  opened  a  drawer  in  the  sideboard,  and  com 
menced  to  overhaul  the  contents. 

"  Set  me  down  for  a  landlubber,"  he  exclaimed, 
at  length,  "  if  it  has  n't  been  stolen.  It  is  n't  here, 
at  any  rate." 

Frank  then  related  the  conversation  which  had 
taken  place  between  himself  and  the  negro,  and 
the  captain  continued: 

"  Well,  I  always  thought  those  folks  had  some 
object  in  view,  or  they  would  not  have  been  so 
friendly.  I  can't  reproach  myself  for  neglecting 
my  duty,  for  I  watched  them  pretty  closely." 

"  I  wonder  how  that  girl  knew  that  the  signal- 
book  was  in  that  drawer,"  said  Frank. 

"  I  suppose  she  must  have  seen  me  put  it  in 
there,"  said  the  captain.  "Now,  the  question  is. 


A    UNION   FAMILY.  105 

how  to  go  to  work  to  recover  it.  It  will  do  no 
good  to  search  the  house." 

"  If  you  will  leave  the  matter  in  my  hands,  sir/' 
said  Frank,  "  I  will  agree  to  recover  the  signal- 
book,  and  capture  that  mail-feag  which  they  intend 
to  send  across  the  river  in  a  few  days." 

"  "Well,"  said  the  captain,  "  it  was  you  who  first 
knew  that  the  signal-book  was  gone,  and  I  believe 
you  ought  to  have  the  honor  of  sifting  the  matter 
to  the  bottom.  Find  out  all  you  can,  and  call  on 
me  for  any  assistance  you  may  need." 

Frank  immediately  returned  to  the  plantation, 
and  started  toward  the  quarters,  in  quest  of  the 
negro  who  had  given  him  the  information,  whom 
he  found  chopping  wood  in  front  of  one  of  the 
cabins. 

"  See  here,  uncle,"  he  exclaimed,  "  I  want  you 
to  keep  me  posted  on  all  that  goes  on  here  on  the 
plantation ;  and  tell  your  daughter  to  find  out  when 
that  rebel  lieutenant  is  coming  here  again,  and 
when  they  intend  to  send  that  mail  across  the 
river." 

"I  will  do  my  best,  young  master,7'  answered 
the  negro.  "But  you  won't  tell  any  one  what  I 
have  said  to  you  ?  I  shall  be  killed,  sure,  if  you  do." 


106  FRANK    ON    A   GUN-BOAT. 

"  No,  uncle,  I  shan't  betray  you ;  so  do  n't  be 
afraid,"  said  Frank;  and,  after  purchasing  some 
articles  which  they  needed  in  the  mess,  he  returned 
on  board  the  boat. 

A  week  passed  on,  but  nothing  further  was  de 
veloped.  The  officers  of  the  vessel  still  continued 
to  visit  the  plantation,  and  Mr.  Phillips  and  his 
family  always  seemed  glad  to  see  them,  and  evi 
dently  did  all  in  their  power  to  make  their  visits 
agreeable. 

As  soon  as  Frank  had  time  to  think  the  matter 
over,  he  wondered  why  he  had  not  known  that 
something  suspicious  was  going  on.  He  remem 
bered  now  that  Mr.  Phillips  had  often  questioned 
him  closely  concerning  the  manner  in  which  the 
gun-boats  were  stationed  along  the  river,  and  the 
distance  they  were  apart.  And  he  thought  of 
other  questions  which  had  been  asked  him  by  the 
family,  which,  although  they  did  not  seem  strange 
at  the  time,  now  seemed  suspicious.  At  first  he 
had  been  inclined  to  doubt  the  negro's  story;  but 
his  doubts  were  soon  removed  by  the  appearance 
of  a  transport,  which  was  completely  riddled  with 
shot ;  and  her  captain  reported  that  they  had  been 
fired  into  by  a  battery  of  two  guns,  at  Conway's 


A    UNION    FAMILY.  107 

Point.  Frank  knew  that  it  was  the  work  of  the 
rebel  lieutenant,  and  he  hoped  that  it  would  soon 
be  his  fortune  to  meet  him  face  to  face. 

One  evening,  just  after  supper,  the  negro  ap 
peared  on  the  bank,  with  some  chickens  in  his  hand, 
which  was  a  signal  to  Frank  that  he  had  something 
to  communicate.  He  immediately  set  off  alone,  in 
a  skiff.  When  he  reached  the  shore,  the  negro  in 
formed  him  that  the  rebel  lieutenant  was  expected 
at  the  plantation  that  evening,  and  that  he  would 
bring  with  him  the  mail,  which  was  to  be  carried 
across  the  river  at  midnight. 

After  paying  the  negro  for  his  chickens,  in  order 
to  deceive  any  one  who  might  be  watching  them, 
Frank  returned  to  the  vessel,  and  informed  the 
captain  that,  if  he  would  give  him  twenty  men,  he 
would  fulfill  his  promise.  He  did  not  acquaint  him 
with  what  he  had  learned,  however,  for  fear  that 
the  captain  would  send  an  officer  with  him,  and 
thus  rob  him  of  the  laurels  now  almost  within  his 
grasp.J 

As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  Frank  picked  out  the 
men  he  wished  to  accompany  him,  and  started  off. 
His  first  care  was  to  quietly  surround  the  house. 
After  he  had  placed  his  men  to  his  satisfaction,  he 


108  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

removed  his  sword,  thrust  a  brace  of  revolvers 
into  his  pocket,  and  walked  up  and  knocked  at 
the  door.  It  was  opened  by  the  youngest  of  the 
girls,  who  started  back  and  turned  pale  when  she 
saw  the  young  officer ;  but  instantly  recovering  her 
presence  of  mind,  she  exclaimed: 

"Good  evening,  Mr.  Nelson;  walk  in.  Allow 
me  to  introduce  to  you  my  cousin,  Mr.  Williams," 
she  continued,  as  they  entered  the  parlor. 

As  she  spoke,  a  tall,  handsome  young  man  rose 
from  his  seat,  and  made  a  low  bow.  It  was  none 
other  than  Lieutenant  Miller;  for  there  was  the 
scar  on  his  cheek,  which  had  been  described  to  him 
by  the  negro. 

After  returning  the  rebel's  salutation,  Frank 
seated  himself  on  the  sofa,  and  said: 

"  I  shall  trouble  you  only  a  moment.  I  merely 
came  here  on  a  little  matter  of  business.  I  under 
stand  that  there  is  a  rebel  mail  to  be  carried  across 
the  river,  from  this  house,  to-night." 

The  suddenness  with  which  this  announcement 
was  made  was  astounding.  Mrs.  Phillips  appeared 
ready  to  faint ;  Annie  turned  very  pale ;  and  the 
lieutenant  raised  his  hand  to  his  breast,  as  if  about 
to  draw  a  weapon. 


A    UNION   FAMILY.  109 

"What  do  you  mean,  sir?"  inquired  Mr.  Phil 
lips,  with  well-feigned  surprise. 

"I  mean,"  answered  Frank,  "that,  since  we  an 
chored  opposite  this  house,  we  have  been  associa 
ting  with  the  worst  kind  of  rebels.  Put  down  your 
hand,  Lieutenant  Miller  !  If  I  see  you  make  that 
move  again,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  shoot  you.  You 
have  professed  to  be  Union  people,"  continued 
Frank,  settling  himself  back  in  his  seat,  and  coolly 
crossing  his  legs,  "and  have  been  treated  as  such; 
you  have,  however,  attempted  to  betray  us,  by  com 
municating  such  of  our  plans  and  movements  as  you 
could  learn  to  the  rebels.  But  you  have  been 
discovered  at  last.  You,  gentlemen,  will  please 
consider  yourselves  my  prisoners.  Miss  Phillips, 
have  the  kindness  to  produce  that  mail-bag,  and 
the  signal-book  you  took  from  the  captain.  If  you 
refuse,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  take  you  on  board  the 
ship,  as  a  prisoner." 

The  girl  saw  that  there  was  no  alternative,  and 
she  pulled  from  under  the  sofa,  where  Frank  sat, 
the  mail-bag,  which  appeared  to  be  well  filled  with 
letters,  and  dispatched  a  servant  to  her  room  after 
the  signal-book,  which  was  to  have  been  sent  across 
'he  river  with  the  mail. 


110  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

After  Frank  had  relieved  the  lieutenant  of  his 
weapons,  he  called  two  of  his  men  into  the  house, 
and,  after  delivering  the  prisoners  into  their  charge, 
returned  to  the  vessel. 

That  evening  the  captain  examined  the  mail,  and 
found  several  letters  which  showed,  beyond  a  doubt, 
that  their  prisoners  were  connected  with  the  rebel 
army;  and  they  were,  accordingly,  sent  to  the 
Admiral,  on  the  first  steamer  that  went  up  the 
river. 

About  two  weeks  afterward,  the  captain  of  the 
Ticonderoga  received  orders  to  proceed  with  his 
vessel  to  Helena,  and  take  command  of  an  expedi 
tion  which  was  preparing  to  start  down  the  Yazoo 
Pass.  They  found  the  fleet,  consisting  of  the  Man 
hattan,  six  "tin-clads,"  and  several  transports, 
loaded  with  troops,  assembled  in  Moon  Lake,  which 
was  about  six  miles  from  the  Mississippi  River; 
and,  on  the  23d  day  of  February,  they  entered  the 
pass,  the  Ticonderoga  leading  the  way. 

The  west  shore  of  Moon  Lake  was  bounded  by 
a  swamp,  through  which  ran  the  pass,  which  was 
just  wide  enough  to  admit  one  good-sized  vessel. 
It  was  filled  with  trees,  which  stood  so  close  to 
gether  that  it  seemed  impossible  to  work  a  passage 


A    UNION   FAMILY.  Ill 

through  them;  and  the  men  on  deck  were  con 
stantly  in  danger  of  being  killed  by  falling  limbs. 
They  advanced  slowly,  sometimes  making  not 
more  than  four  miles  in  a  day ;  and  it  was  almost 
two  weeks  before  they  reached  Coldwater  River. 


112 


FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 


CHAPTER    X. 


the  afternoon  of  the  day  of  their 
arrival,  the  Ticonderoga  tied  up  in 
front  of  a  large  plantation-house.  As 
soon  as  the  vessel  was  made  fast  to  the 
bank,  the  captain  turned  to  the  execu 
tive  officer,  and  exclaimed: 

"Mr.  Smith,  please  call  away  one 
company  of  small-armed  men.  Mr.  Nelson,"  he 
continued,  turning  to  Frank,  "  I  wish  you  to  take 
command  of  the  company,  and  go  ashore  and 
search  that  house  for  fire-arms,  and  bring  on 
board  all  you  find." 

"Very  good,  sir,"  answered  Frank;  and  he 
hurried  down  to  his  room  to  buckle  on  his  sword 
and  revolver. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  company  was  formed  on 
deck,  and  Frank  marched  them  out  on  the  bank 


A    SPUNKY   REBEL.  113 

arid  then  up  to  the  house.  His  first  care  was  to 
surround  the  building,  so  that,  in  case  there  were 
any  men  in  it,  their  escape  would  be  entirely  cut 
off.  He  then,  in  company  with  the  boatswain's 
mate  and  two  men,  walked  up  and  knocked  at  the 
door.  After  some  delay,  the  summons  was  an 
swered  by  a  negro  woman,  who  scowled  upon 
him,  and  waited  for  him  to  make  known  his  wants. 

"  Is  your  master  or  mistress  in  ? "  inquired 
Frank. 

"Yes,  missus  is  h'ar,"  answered  the  woman, 
gruffly. 

"Well,  I  should  like  to  see  her." 

"Den  you  stay  h'ar,  an'  I'll  ax  her  if  she 
wants  to  see  you." 

"  No,  aunty,  that  won't  do.  I  must  see  her, 
whether  she  wants  to  see  me  or  not;"  and  Frank 
unceremoniously  entered  the  house,  followed  by 
his  men. 

"Now,  where  is  your  mistress,  aunty?"  he  in 
quired. 

"  She 's  up  stairs,"  answered  the  woman. 

"Well,  then,"  said  Frank,  turning  to  the  boat 
swain's  mate,  "you  come  with  me,  and  let  the 
others  remain  here  until  we  return." 
8 


114  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

Frank  then  ascended  the  stairs,  arid  very  easily 
found  his  way  to  the  room  where  the  lady  was ; 
and,  as  he  entered,  he  politely  removed  his 
cap. 

"Well,  sir,"  said  the  lady,  in  no  very  pleasant 
tone,  "what  do  you  wish?" 

"I  have  been  ordered  to  come  here  and  search 
your  house  for  fire-arms,"  replied  Frank. 

"  I  suppose  I  shall  be  obliged  to  submit  to  it, 
for  I  have  not  the  power  to  prevent  you ;  if  I  had, 
I  should  certainly  use  it.  But,  I  hope  you  will 
be  gentleman  enough  not  to  steal  every  thing  we 
have  in  the  house." 

Frank's  face  reddened  to  the  very  roots  of  his 
hair  at  this  insult,  and  he  replied,  in  a  voice  choked 
with  indignation: 

"No,  madam,  we  shall  disturb  nothing.  I  hope 
you  do  not  take  us  for  thieves;"  and  he  turned 
and  tried  a  door,  (several  of  which  opened  off  the 
room  in  which  the  lady  was  sitting),  but  it  was 
fastened  on  the  other  side 

"That's  a  bed-room,"  exclaimed  the  lady,  an 
grily.  "I  hope  you  are  not  going  in  there!" 

"  Certainly  I  am,  madam.  I  am  going  into 
every  nook  and  corner  of  your  house.  My  orders 


A    SPUNKY    REBEL.  115 

were  to  search  your  building,  and  I  intend  to  obey 
them.  Is  there  any  one  in  here?" 

"Yes,  sir;  my  daughters  are  in  there." 

"Then,  why  don't  they  open  this  door?"  and 
Frank,  who  was  getting  out  of  patience,  pounded 
loudly  upon  the  door  with  the  butt  of  his  revolver. 

"Is  that  you,  mother?"  inquired  a  voice  from 
the  room. 

"No,"  answered  Frank,  "it  isn't  mother;  but 
open  this  door." 

"  Yes,  in  a  minute." 

"  Open  this  door  immediately,"  repeated  Frank, 
who  began  to  suspect  that  he  had  been  purposely 
delayed. 

But  the  persons  in  the  room  made  no  reply; 
when  the  boatswain's  mate,  at  a  sign  from  Frank, 
raised  his  foot,  and,  with  one  kick  of  his  heavy 
boot,  sent  the  door  from  its  hinges.  Loud  screams 
issued  from  the  room,  which,  as  Frank  entered, 
he  found  to  be  occupied  by  two  young  ladies,  who, 
judging  from  the  overturned  work-basket,  and  the 
half-finished  articles  of  apparel  which  were  scat- 
tered  about  over  the  floor,  had  been  engaged  in 
sewing. 

"Don't  be  alarmed,  ladies,"  said  Frank,  "you 


116  FRANK   ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

shall  not  be  harmed.  Jack,"  he  continued,  turn 
ing  to  the  boatswain's  mate,  "just  examine  that 
bed." 

"Oh,  don't,"  exclaimed  one  of  the  young  ladies, 
"don't,  for  mercy's  sake.  Do  go  away  from 
here." 

"  Ellen,"  exclaimed  her  mother,  who  had  fol 
lowed  Frank  into  the  room,  "  do  n't  make  a  child 
of  yourself.  I  am  surprised  at  you." 

"We  shall  leave  every  thing  just  as  we  find  it," 
said  Frank,  who  was  a  good  deal  surprised  at  the 
conduct  of  the  girl.  "All  we  want  is  the  fire 
arms,  if  you  have  any  in  the  house." 

"Yes,  we  have  got  some  here,"  said  Ellen, 
"  and  I  will  get  them  for  you ;"  and  she  drew  out 
from  the  bed-clothes  two  beautifully-finished  rifles, 
a  quantity  of  ammunition,  a  cavalry  sword,  and  a 
double-barreled  shot-gun.  "  There,"  she  exclaimed, 
as  she  handed  them  to  Frank ;  "  there  are  no 
more  in  this  room.  Now,  do  go  away." 

"  Ellen,"  said  her  mother,  who  was  evidently 
very  anxious  about  the  girl's  conduct,  "will  you 
keep  quiet?" 

"Don't  say  any  thing  to  him,  Ellen,"  said  her 
sister,  whose  name  was  Mary;  "don't  ask  any 


A    SPUNKY   REBEL.  117 

favors  of  a  Yankee.  Let  him  stay  here  till  dooms 
day  if"— 

She  was  interrupted  by  a  loud  scream  from 
Ellen;  and  the  mate,  who  had  been  "reconnoiter- 
\ng"  under  the  bed,  exclaimed: 

"Here  you  are!  Come  out  o'  that,  you  son  of 
\  sea-cook ;"  and  he  seized  something  which  strug 
gled  and  fought  furiously,  but  all  to  no  purpose, 
for  the  mate  soon  pulled  into  sight  a  tall  man, 
dressed  in  the  uniform  of  a  rebel  officer. 

Ellen  screamed  and  cried  louder  than  ever,  and 
even  her  mother  could  not  refrain  from  shedding 
tears ;  but  Mary,  although  pale  as  death,  retained 
her  haughty  look,  and  was  evidently  too  proud  to 
manifest  any  feeling  in  the  presence  of  a  Federal 
officer. 

"  I  know^ed  there  was  something  of  this  kind 
goin'  on,  sir,"  said  Jack,  turning  to  his  officer,  and 
giving  his  pants  a  hitch;  "I  knowed,  by  the  way 
the  young  lady  handed  over  them  we'pons,  that 
there  was  something  about  that  bed  she  did  n't 
want  us  to  see." 

"  Yes,  Ellen,"  said  the  rebel,  "  I  have  to  thank 
you  for  my  capture.  If  it  had  n't  been  for  your 
crying  and  whimpering,  I  might  have" — 


118  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

"Escaped,"  exclaimed  Jack.  "No,  sir;  not  so 
easy.  Do  n't  go  to  jawin'  her,  now,  'cause  yer 
ketched.  Come,  now,"  he  continued,  "  let 's  have 
yer  we'pons." 

The  rebel  coolly  handed  out  two  silver-mounted 
revolvers,  which  the  mate  thrust  into  his  belt. 

"  Now,  I  hope  you  're  satisfied,"  said  Mary,  im 
patiently;  "and  are  ready  to  go  and  leave  us  in 
peace." 

"Not  quite,"  answered  Frank.  "I  have  not 
yet  obeyed  my  orders.  As  I  said  before,  I  must 
see  the  inside  of  every  room  in  your  house.  Jack, 
send  two  men  on  board  the  ship  with  that  prisoner." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  the  mate,  touching  his 
cap.  "  Come,  you  corn-fed,  march." 

The  mother  and   sisters  of  the  rebel  crowded 
around  him,  to  say  good-by;  and,  in  spite  of  the 
unladylike,  and  even  insulting  manner  with  which 
they  had  treated  him,  Frank  could  not  help  pity 
ing  them. 

When  the  mate  had  seen  the  prisoner  safe  or 
the  boat,  he  went  back,  and  Frank  continued  his 
search.     But  no  more  weapons  or  prisoners  being» 
found,  he  and  his  men  returned  on  board,  well  sat 
isfied  with  their  success. 


A    SPUNKY    REBEL.  119 

After  supper,  as  Frank  was  walking  up  and 
down  the  deck,  arm  in  arm  with  one  of  his  brother 
officers,  the  orderly  approached,  and,  touching  his 
cap,  informed  him  that  the  captain  wished  to  see 
him. 

"  Mr.  Nelson,"  said  the  captain,  as  Frank  en 
tered  the  cabin,  "come  here." 

Frank  followed  the  captain  to  one  of  the  after 
windows,  and  the  latter  inquired : 

"Do  vou  see  that?" 

Frank  looked  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the 
captain,  and  was  surprised  to  see  a  rebel  flag  float 
ing  from  one  of  the  windows  of  the  house. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  see  it,"  said  Frank. 

"  Well,  sir,  go  over  there,  and  tell  those  women 
to  have  that  flag  taken  in  and  sent  on  board  this 
ship.  Don't  touch  it  yourself:  they  put  it  out 
there,  and  they  must  take  it  in.  That  Js  a  pretty 
piece  of  impudence,  indeed — a  rebel  flag  floating 
in  the  breeze  in  the  face  of  a  Federal  vessel  of 
war ! "  and  the  eccentric  captain  paced  up  and 
down  his  cabin,  in  a  state  of  considerable  excite 
ment. 

Frank  started  off,  and  in  a  few  moments  again 
stood  before  the  mistress  of  the  house. 


120  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

"You're  here  again,  sir,  are  you?"  she  asked, 
petulantly. 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  replied  Frank,  not  the  least  an 
noyed  by  the  tone  in  which  he  was  addressed,  or 
the  sharp  glances  which  the  ladies  threw  at  him, 
"  I  'm  here ;  and  I  came  to  tell  you  that  the  captain 
Y/ishes  you  to  have  that  rebel  flag  removed  from 
your  window,  and  sent  on  board  the  ship." 

"  Is  there  any  thing  else  your  captain  wants  ? " 
inquired  Mary,  with  a  sneer. 

" No,  ma'am,  not  at  present;  but  he  wishes  that 
flag  taken  down  immediately." 

The  ladies  made  no  reply.  After  a  moment's 
pause,  Frank  inquired: 

"Do  you  intend  to  comply  with  his  orders?" 

"I  did  not  put  the  flag  up  there,"  said  the 
mother. 

"It  makes  no  difference  who  put  it  up  there, 
madam,"  said  Frank,  warmly,  "it  must  come  down; 
and  I  would  advise  you  not  to  hesitate  long,  for 
the  captain  is  not  one  who  can  be  trifled  with." 

As  Frank  ceased  speaking,  Mary  touched  a  sig 
nal-bell,  which  stood  on  the  table  near  her.  A 
servant  appeared  almost  instantly,  and  the  young 
lady  said: 


A    SPUNKY    REBEL.  121 

this  man  out." 

Frank,  who  saw  that  it  would  do  no  good  to 
lemainj  put  on  his  cap  and  followed  the  servant 
down  stairs. 

"Well,  what  did  they  say?"  inquired  the  cap 
tain,  when  Frank  again  entered  the  cabin. 

"  They  did  n't  say  any  thing,  sir,"  replied  Frank. 
"  They  neither  said  they  would,  nor  they  would  not, 
take  it  down." 

Frank  was  careful  not  to  say  a  word  about  the 
manner  in  which  they  had  treated  him,  for  he  knew 
it  would  only  irritate  the  captain,  and  make  mat 
ters  worse. 

"  They  did  n't  say  whether  they  would  take  it 
down  or  not,  eh ! "  exclaimed  the  captain.  "  Please 
help  yourself  to  a  chair,  Mr.  Nelson,  and,  in  a  few 
moments,  I  will  give  you  your  orders." 

Frank  accordingly  took  a  seat,  and  the  captain 
stationed  himself  at  the  window,  with  his  watch 
in  his  hand.  Frank  knew  by  this  that  the  captain 
had  granted  the  rebels  a  few  moments'  grace ;  and 
he  also  knew  that,  unless  the  flag  came  down  soon, 
and  was  sent  on  board  the  vessel,  something  un 
pleasant  would  happen.  At  length  the  allotted 
time  expired,  and  the  captain  said: 


122  FRANK    ON    A   GUN-BOAT. 

"  Mr.  Nelson,  take  a  dozen  men,  and  go  ashore 
Give  those  women  just  ten  minutes  to  remove  their 
furniture,  and  then  fire  the  house.  No  building 
shall  float  a  secesh  flag,  and  stand,  while  I  have  the 
power  to  burn  it." 

This  time  the  ladies  made  no  remark  when  Frank 
entered  the  room  where  they  were  sitting,  for  they 
knew  by  his  looks  that  they  were  about  to  receive 
the  punishment  their  folly  merited. 

"  Madam,"  said  Frank,  speaking  in  a  tone  which 
showed  how  much  he  dreaded  to  break  the  intelli 
gence,  "  I  am  ordered  to  burn  your  house." 

"Yes,"  answered  the  mother,  bitterly;  "I  ex 
pected  that  to  be  your  next  errand.  I  suppose 
your  brutal  captain  will  feel  perfectly  satisfied 
when  he  sees  us  deprived  of  a  home." 

"  I  thought  the  Yankees  were  too  gallant  to 
make  war  on  women  and  children,"  chimed  in  Mary. 
"  That  has  always  been  their  boast,"  continued  she, 
very  spitefully. 

"  So  they  are,"  replied  Frank.  "  But  the  cap 
tain  is  one  who  will  not  tolerate  an  exhibition  of 
treason  in  any  one,  be  it  man,  woman,  or  child. 
You  have  no  one  to  blame  but  yourselves.  But 
we  have  no  time  to  waste  in  argument.  I  will  give 


A    SPUNKY    REBEL.  123 

you  ten  minutes  in  which  to  remove  your  furniture, 
and  will  assist  you,  if  you  wish  it." 

"  We  can  take  care  of  ourselves,"  said  the 
mother.  "No  one  asked  you  for  assistance." 

Frank  made  no  reply;  and  the  ladies,  assisted 
by  their  servants,  immediately  commenced  the  re 
moval  of  the  most  valuable  articles ,  and  when  the 
time  had  expired,  a  straw-bed  was  pulled  into  the 
middle  of  the  floor,  a  match  was  applied  to  it,  and 
the  house  was  soon  enveloped  in  flames. 

Frank  could  not  help  pitying  the  women,  who 
were  thus  obliged  to  stand  by  and  witness  the 
destruction  of  their  home.  But  he  knew  that  they 
had  brought  it  on  themselves,  and  that  they  de 
served  it ;  and,  besides,  he  had  only  done  his  duty, 
for  he  was  acting  under  orders. 

The  women,  however,  did  not  seem  to  be  in  the 
least  concerned;  for  when  the  roof  fell  in  with  a 
crash,  Mary  commenced  the  rebel  air,  "Bonnie 
Blue  Flag,"  and  sang  it  through  to  the  end. 
Frank  admired  her  "  spunk,"  even  though  her 
sympathies  were  enlisted  in  a  bad  cause. 

He  remained  until  the  house  was  entirely  con 
sumed,  and  then  returned  on  board  his  vessel. 


124 


FKANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 


CHAPTER  XI 


,N   the   afternoon   of   the    following 
day,  while  it  was  Frank's  watch  on 
deck,  as  the  Ticonderoga  came  suddenly 
around  an  abrupt  bend  in  the  river,  a 
puff  of  smoke  rose  from  behind  an  em 
bankment,  about  half  a  mile  in  advance, 
while  a  shell  whistled  over  the  vessel, 
and  dropped  into  the  water  without  exploding. 

Frank  immediately  requested  the  pilot  to  blow 
four  whistles,  which  was  a  signal  to  the  other  boats 
that  they  were  attacked;  and,  after  sending  the 
messenger-boy  below  to  report  to  the  captain,  he 
raised  his  glass  to  his  eye,  and  found  that  they 
were  directly  in  front  of  a  good-sized  fort,  built 
of  cotton  bales  and  embankments,  and  mounting 
at  least  five  heavy  guns.  A  Hag-staff  rose  from 
the  center  of  the  fort,  and  supported  the  "  stars 


FRANK    A    PRISONER.  125 

and  bars,"  which  flaunted  defiantly  in  the  breeze. 
This  was  Fort  Pemberton,  the  only  formidable 
fortification  the  rebels  had  between  the  Mississippi 
and  Yazoo  Rivers. 

The  captain  came  on  deck  immediately,  and  or 
dered  the  vessel  to  be  stopped;  and,  when  the 
other  boats  came  up,  they  were  ordered  to  take 
their  stations  along  the  bank,  on  each  side  of  the 
river,  out  of  range  of  the  guns  of  the  fort.  When 
the  entire  fleet  had  assembled,  the  Ticonderoga, 
in  company  with  the  Manhattan,  steamed  down, 
and  opened  fire  on  the  fort,  with  a  view  to  ascer 
tain  its  strength.  The  fort  replied  vigorously,  and, 
after  an  hour's  firing,  the  vessels  withdrew. 

The  next  morning,  at  an  early  hour,  the  troops 
were  landed,  but,  for  some  reason,  it  was  afternoon 
before  they  were  ready  to  march.  At  three 
o'clock  they  were  drawn  up  in  line  in  the  woods, 
about  two  miles  from  the  fort,  where  the  men 
stacked  arms,  and  stretched  themselves  out  in  the 
shade  of  the  trees. 

In  the  mean  time  the  iron-clads  had  been  pre 
paring  for  the  fight.  The  magazines  were  opened 
and  lighted ;  the  casemates  covered  with  a  coat  of 
grease,  to  glance  the  shot  which  might  strike  them  ; 


.  26  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

the  men  were  at  their  stations,  and  when  all  was 
ready,  they  steamed  down  toward  the  fort,  the 
Ticonderoga  leading  the  way. 

Frank,  by  attention  to  his  duties,  had  rapidly 
learned  the  gun-drill,  and  had  been  promoted  to 
the  command  of  one  of  the  guns  in  the  turret. 
He  thought  he  had  become  quite  accustomed  to 
the  noise  of  bullets,  but  he  could  not  endure  the 
silence  that  then  reigned  in  the  ship.  The  men, 
stripped  to  the  waist,  stood  at  their  guns  as 
motionless  as  so  many  statues ;  and,  although  Frank 
tried  hard  to  exhibit  the  same  indifference  that  they 
did,  his  mind  was  exceedingly  busy,  and  it  seemed 
to  him  that  he  thought  of  every  thing  he  had 
done  during  his  life.  Oh,  how  he  longed  to  hear 
the  order  passed  to  commence  firing !  Any  thing 
was  preferable  to  that  awful  stillness. 

At  length,  the  captain  came  into  the  turret,  where 
he  always  took  his  station  in  action,  and  glanced 
hastily  at  the  countenance  of  each  of  the  officers 
and  men.  He  seemed  satisfied  with  his  examina 
tion,  for  he  immediately  took  his  stand  where  he 
could  see  all  that  was  going  on,  and  gave  orders 
to  the  pilot  to  head  the  vessel  directly  toward  the 
fort ;  and  then  every  thing  relapsed  into  that  horii- 


FRANK    A    PRISONER.  127 

ble  silence  again.  But  this  did  not  continue  long ; 
for,  the  moment  they  came  within  range,  the  fort 
opened  on  them,  and  a  solid  shot  struck  the  case 
mate  directly  over  Frank's  gun,  with  a  force  that 
seemed  to  shake  the  entire  vessel.  Frank  glanced 
at  the  captain,  and  saw  him  standing  with  his  elbow 
on  the  starboard  gun,  and  his  head  resting  on  his 
hand,  watching  the  fort  as  coolly  as  though  they 
had  been  engaged  only  in  target  practice. 

The  shells  from  the  fort  continued  to  fall  around 
them,  but  the  captain  neither  changed  his  position 
nor  gave  the  order  to  fire.  The  port-holes  in  the 
turret  were  all  closed,  with  the  exception  of  the 
one  at  which  the  captain  stood,  and,  of  course,  no 
one  could  see  what  was  going  on.  Frank  began 
to  grow  impatient.  He  did  not  like  the  idea  of 
being  shot  at  in  that  manner  without  returning 
the  fire.  At  length  the  captain  inquired  : 

"What  have  you  in  your  gun,  Mr.  Nelson?" 

"A  five-second  shell,  sir,"  answered  Frank, 
promptly. 

"  Very  well.  Run  out  your  gun  and  give  them 
a  shot." 

The  men  sprang  to  their  stations  in  an  instant ; 
the  ports  flew  open  with  a  crash,  and  the  hea-vy 


128  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

gun  was  run  out  as  easily  as  though  it  had  been  a 
twelve-pounder.  The  first  captain  seized  the  lock- 
string;  there  was  a  deafening  report,  and  an  eleven- 
inch  shell  went  booming  into  the  fort.  The  force 
of  the  discharge  ran  the  gun  back  into  the  turret 
again,  and  the  ports  closed  as  if  by  magic.  They 
did  not  close  entirely,  however,  for  there  was  a 
space  of  about  four  inches  left  between  them,  to 
allow  for  the  action  of  the  rammer  in  loading. 
The  gun  was  sponged,  the  cartridge  driven  home, 
and  the  gunner's  mate  stood  at  the  muzzle  of  the 
gun,  removing  the  cap  from  a  shell,  when  a  percus 
sion  shell  from  the  fort  struck  in  the  space  between 
the  shutters  and  exploded.  The  discharge  set  fire 
to  the  shell  which  the  gunner's  mate  was  holding 
in  his  hand,  and  the  unfortunate  man  was  blown 
almost  to  atoms. 

In  naval  actions  there  is  nothing  which  will 
carry  such  terror  and  dismay  among  a  ship's  com 
pany  as  the  bursting  of  one  of  their  own  shells; 
and  the  scene  which  followed  the  explosion  in  the 
turret  of  the  Ticonderoga  beggars  all  description. 
Old  seamen,  who  had  been  in  many  a  hard-fought 
battle,  and  had  stood  at  their  guns  under  the  most 
deadly  fire  the  enemy  could  pour  upon  them,  with- 


FRANK    A   PRISONER.  129 

out  flinching,  now  deserted  their  stations,  and  ran 
about  through  the  blinding  and  suffocating  smoke 
that  filled  the  turret,  with  blanched  cheeks,  tram 
pling  each  other  under  their  feet,  and  utterly  dis 
regarding  the  commands  of  their  officers,  who  ran 
among  them  with  drawn  swords,  and  endeavored 
to  force  them  back  to  their  guns.  It  was  some 
time  before  quiet  was  restored,  and  then  Frank 
found,  to  his  horror,  that,  out  of  twenty-five  men 
which  had  composed  his  gun's  crew,  only  ten  were 
left.  Four  had  been  instantly  killed,  and  eleven 
badly  wounded.  The  deck  was  slippery  with  blood, 
and  the  turret  was  completely  covered  with  it. 
The  shrieks  and  groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying 
were  awful.  Frank  had  never  before  witnessed 
such  a  scene,  and,  for  a  moment,  he  was  so  sick  he 
could  scarcely  stand.  But  he  had  no  time  to  waste 
in  giving  away  to  his  feelings.  After  seeing  the 
dead  and  wounded  carried  below,  he  returned  to  his 
station,  and,  with  what  was  left  of  his  gun's  crew, 
fought  bravely  during  the  remainder  of  the  action. 
The  fight  continued  until  after  dark,  when  the 
captain,  knowing  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
capture  the  fort  without  the  assistance  of  the 
troops,  ordered  a  retreat. 
9 


130  FllANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

That  same  night  a  consultation  of  the  naval  and 
military  commanders  was  held,  and  it  was  decided 
to  renew  the  attack  on  the  following  morning.  A 
battery  of  two  thirty-pounder  Parrotts  was  taken 
off  one  of  the  "  tin-clads "  and  mounted  on  the 
bank,  about  half  a  mile  back  in  the  woods,  and  a 
mile  from  the  fort.  Captain  Wilson,  who  com 
manded  one  of  the  musquito  boats,  was  ordered  to 
take  command  of  it,  and  Frank,  at  his  own  request, 
was  permitted  to  accompany  him  as  his  a^d.  He 
started  early  the  next  morning  with  fifty  men,  who 
had  been  detailed  from  the  gun-boats,  and  at  sun 
rise  was  at  his  station. 

The  battery  was  masked,  and  the  rebels  knew 
nothing  of  its  existence.  The  captain's  orders 
were,  not  to  fire  until  they  heard  the  action  opened 
by  the  iron-clads.  Twenty-eight  men  were  re 
quired  to  man  the  guns,  and  the  others,  armed  with 
Spencer  rifles,  were  to  act  as  sharp-shooters. 
Frank,  to  his  surprise,  soon  learned  that  this  was 
all  the  support  they  were  to  have,  the  troops  hav 
ing  been  ordered  to  take  the  same  station  they  had 
occupied  the  day  before,  and  to  hold  themselves 
in  readiness  to  charge  upon  the  fort,  as  soon  as 
the  iron-clads  had  silenced  the  guns. 


FRANK   A    PRISONER.  131 

About  ten  o'clock  the  fort  commenced  firing,  and 
Frank  knew  that  the  gun-boats  were  again  under 
way.  At  length  a  loud  report,  which  he  could 
have  recognized  among  a  thousand,  blended  with 
the  others,  and,  in  obedience  to  the  order  of  the 
captain,  the  men  tore  away  the  bushes  which  had 
masked  the  battery,  and  the  fight  became  general. 

Frank  directed  his  fire  upon  a  pile  of  cotton-bales, 
which  protected  one  of  the  largest  guns  of  the  fort; 
but,  as  fast  as  he  knocked  them  down,  the  rebels 
would  recklessly  spring  out  of  the  fort  and  put 
them  up  again.  At  length  Captain  Wilson  ordered 
the  sharp-shooters  to  advance  five  hundred  yards 
nearer  the  fort.  The  rebels  soon  discovered  this, 
and  the  cotton-bales  were  allowed  to  remain  where 
they  had  fallen. 

In  half  an  hour  that  part  of  the  fort  was  com 
pletely  demolished ;  and  the  rebels,  being  without 
protection  against  the  sharp-shooters,  were  obliged 
to  abandon  the  gun. 

While  Frank  was  congratulating  himself  on  the 
fine  shooting  he  had  done,  and  wondering  why  the 
troops  were  not  ordered  to  charge,  he  was  startled 
by  the  rapid  report  of  muskets  behind  him.  Three 
of  his  men  fell  dead  where  they  had  stood ;  and 


132  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

Frank  turned  just  in  time  to  see  a  party  of  rebels 
issuing  from  the  woods.  They  came  on  with  loud 
yells;  and  one  of  them,  who  appeared  to  be  the 
leader,  called  out : 

"  Surrender,  now,  you  infernal  Yankees.  Shoot 
down  the  first  one  who  resists  or  attempts  to  es 
cape,"  he  added,  turning  to  his  men. 

"  Stand  to  your  guns,  my  lads ! "  shouted  Cap 
tain  Wilson.  "  Do  n't  give  ground  an  inch."  • 

The  sailors,  always  accustomed  to  obedience, 
gathered  around  their  officers,  and  poured  a  mur 
derous  fire  upon  the  advancing  enemy,  from  their 
revolvers.  The  rebels,  who  were  greatly  superior 
in  numbers,  returned  the  fire,  and  the  captain  fell, 
mortally  wounded.  But  the  sailors  stubbornly 
stood  their  ground,  until  the  rebels  closed  up 
about  them,  and  Frank  saw  that  escape  was  im 
possible.  But  he  fought  like  a  young  tiger,  and 
determined  that  he  would  die  before  he  would  sur 
render ;  for  even  death  was  preferable  to  a  long 
confinement  in  a  Southern  prison. 

"  Drop  that  pistol ! "  exclaimed  a  rebel,  point 
ing  his  rifle  directly  at  Frank's  head,  "or  I'll 
blow  your  brains  out." 

"Blow   away!"    exclaimed   Frank,   seizing   the 


FRANK    A    PRISONER.  133 

rebel's  rifle,  with  a  quick  movement,  and  firing  his 
revolver  full  in  his  face ;  "  I  '11  never  surrender 
as  long  as  I  have  strength  left  to  stand  on  my  feet. 
Give  it  to  'em,  lads  !" 

The  next  moment  Frank  was  prostrated  by  a 
severe  blow  on  the  head  from  the  butt  of  a  mus 
ket,  and  the  sailors,  finding  that  both  their  officers 
were  gone,  lost  all  heart,  and  threw  down  their 
weapons. 

The  rebels  had  scarcely  time  to  collect  their 
prisoners  and  retreat,  when  the  troops,  who  had 
heard  the  noise  of  the  conflict,  and  started  to  the 
rescue,  arrived.  But  they  were  too  late ;  for  in 
less  than  half  an  hour  Frank  and  his  men  were 
safe  in  the  fort,  and  confined  under  guard. 


134 


FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


ife 


RANK,  as  may  be  supposed,  was 
not  at  all  pleased  with  the  pros 
pect  before  him.  He  had  often  heard 
escaped  prisoners  relate  sad  stories  of 
the  treatment  they  had  received  while 
in  the  hands  of  the  rebels;  and,  as  he 
knew  that  they  cherished  an  especial 
hatred  toward  gun-boatmen,  he  could  not  hope  tc 
fare  very  welL 

The  place  where  he  was  confined  was  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  fort,  directly  in  range  of  the 
shells  from  the  iron-clads,  and  Frank  expected  to 
be  struck  by  them  every  moment,  for  the  pieces 
flew  about  him  in  all  directions.  Oh,  how  he 
prayed  that  the  fort  might  be  taken!  He  could 
see  that  one  of  their  heaviest  guns  was  dismounted, 


THE    ESCAPE.  135 

and  a  large  detail  of  men  was  constantly  occupied 
in  carrying  off  the  dead  and  wounded. 

The  firing  continued  until  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  and  then  the  gun-boats  suddenly  with 
drew.  The  rebels  cheered  loudly  as  they  disap 
peared  around  a  bend  in  the  river,  and  Frank  gave 
up  all  hope  :  nothing  now  remained  for  him  but  a 
long  captivity. 

That  evening,  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  he,  with 
the  other  prisoners,  was  marched  on  board  the 
General  Quitman,  a  large  steamer,  lying  just  be 
low  the  fort,  and  carried  to  Haines'  Bluff,  and  from 
thence  they  went  by  rail  to  Vicksburg.  Here 
Frank  was  separated  from  his  men,  and  confined, 
for  two  days,  with  several  army  officers,  in  a  small 
room  in  the  jail.  Early  on  the  third  morning  he 
was  again  taken  out,  and  sent  across  the  river,  into 
Louisiana,  with  about  three  hundred  others.  Their 
destination,  he  soon  learned,  was  Tyler,  a  small 
town  in  Texas,  where  most  of  the  Union  prisoners 
captured  in  Mississippi  were  confined. 

They  were  guarded  by  a  battalion  of  cavalry, 
under  command  of  the  notorious  Colonel  Harrison, 
who  called  themselves  the  "  Louisiana  Wild-cats." 
Frank  had  never  before  seen  this  noted  regiment, 


136  FRANK    ON    A   GUN-BOAT. 

and  he  found  that  they  were  very  appropriately 
named;  for  a  more  ferocious  looking  set  of  men 
he  had  never  met.  They  all  wore  long  hair  and 
whiskers;  and  their  faces  looked  as  though  they 
had  never  been  acquainted  with  soap  and  water. 
They  were  armed  with  rifles,  Bowie-knives,  and 
revolvers,  and  seemed  to  take  pleasure  in  boasting 
of  the  number  of  women  and  children  and  unarmed 
men  they  had  slain. 

They  had  not  made  more  than  a  day's  march, 
when  Frank  found  that  his  troubles  were  just  com 
mencing.  He  was  not  accustomed  to  marching, 
and  his  feet  soon  became  so  swollen  that  he  could 
scarcely  stand  on  them.  The  heat  was  almost  in 
tolerable;  the  roads  were  very  dusty,  and  the 
places  where  they  were  allowed  to  obtain  water 
were  many  miles  apart.  Besides,  as  if  to  add  to 
their  sufferings,  the  rebels  were  continually  steal 
ing  from  the  prisoners,  and,  finally,  some  of  them 
were  left  with  scarcely  any  clothing ;  and  if  the 
poor  fellows  ventured  to  remonstrate  against  such 
treatment,  they  were  shot  or  bayoneted  on  the  spot. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  the  march,  Frank  noticed 
a  soldier,  just  in  advance  of  him,  who  was  so  weak 
that  he  could  scarcely  keep  his  feet.  He  had  been 


THE    ESCAPE.  137 

wounded  in  the  arm,  at  the  late  battle  before 
Vicksburg,  but  not  the  least  notice  had  been  taken 
of  it  by  the  rebels,  and  he  was  suffering  the  most 
intense  agony.  Frank,  although  scarcely  able  to 
sustain  himself,  owing  to  the  swollen  condition  of 
his  feet,  offered  his  assistance,  which  the  poor  fel 
low  was  glad  enough  to  accept.  But  he  continued 
to  grow  weaker  every  moment,  and,  finally,  in  spite 
of  Frank's  exertions,  fell  prostrate  in  the  rodd. 

"What's  the  matter  here?"  inquired  the  colo 
nel,  wrho  happened  to  be  riding  by. 

"  This  man  is  n't  able  to  go  any  further,"  re 
plied  Frank. 

"  Then  he  does  n't  need  any  of  your  help,  you 
young  Abolitionist;  get  back  to  your  place !  Here, 
Stiles,"  he  continued,  beckoning  to  one  of  his  men, 
and  bending  upon  him  a  glance  of  peculiar  mean- 
'ng,  "  you  stay  here  until  this  man  dies." 

The  colonel  rode  up  to  the  head  of  the  column 
agaia,  and  Frank  was  obliged  to  move  on  with  the 
others.  But  he  could  not  relieve  his  mind  of  a 
feeling  that  something  more  dreadful  than  any 
thing  he  had  yet  seen  was  about  to  take  place. 
He  frequently  turned  and  looked  back,  and  saw 
the  man  lying  where  he  had  fallen,  and  the  rebel, 


138  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

who  had  dismounted  from  his  horse,  standing  over 
him,  leaning  on  his  rifle.  At  length  a  bend  in  the 
road  hid  them  from  sight.  In  a  few  moments, 
Frank  heard  the  report  of  a  gun,  and  pres 
ently  the  rebel  rode  up,  with  the  coat,  pants,  and 
boots  which  had  once  belonged  to  the  soldier, 
hanging  on  his  arm.  Such  scenes  as  this  were 
enacted  every  day;  but,  for  some  unaccountable 
reason,  Frank  was  not  molested,  beyond  having  his 
boots  stolen  one  night  while  he  was  asleep.  He 
had  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  escape  at  the 
first  opportunity ;  but  he  was  in  no  condition  to 
travel,  and,  besides,  the  sight  of  several  ferocious 
blood-hounds,  which  accompanied  the  rebels,  was 
enough  to  deter  him  from  making  the  attempt. 

After  a  march  of  two  weeks,  during  which  he 
suffered  more  than  he  had  thought  it  possible  for 
him  to  endure,  they  arrived  at  Shreveport.  Here 
they  encamped  for  the  night,  with  the  understand 
ing  that  they  were  to  start  for  Tyler — which  w/as 
one  hundred  and  ten  miles  further  on — early  the 
next  morning.  Frank  concluded  that  he  had 
walked  about  far  enough.  "  If  I  intend  to  escape," 
he  soliloquized,  "  I  might  as  well  start  from  here 
as  from  Tyler.  I  '11  play  off  sick,  and  see  if  I 


THE    ESCAPE.  139 

can't  get  them  to  leave  me  here  ;  and  then,  as  soon 
as  I  become  strong  enough  to  travel,  I  '11  be  missed 
some  fine  day." 

Accordingly,  the  next  morning,  when  the  pris 
oners  were  ordered  to  "fall  in,"  Frank  did  not 
stir;  and,  when  the  sergeant  came  to  arouse  him, 
he  appeared  to  be  in  the  greatest  agony.  So  well 
did  he  play  his  part,  that  the  doctor  declared  that 
it  was  impossible  for  him  to  go  on;  and  he  was  ac 
cordingly  left  behind.  As  soon  as  the  prisoners 
had  gone,  he  was  carried  to  the  hospital,  which  was 
a  large  brick  building,  standing  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  town.  The  lower  floor  was  used  as  a  barrack 
for  the  soldiers  who  guarded  the  building,  and  the 
upper  rooms  as  a  hospital  and  guard-house.  Frank 
found  about  fifteen  Federal  soldiers,  and  as  many 
rebels,  who  were  confined  for  various  offenses,  prin 
cipally  desertion. 

Frank  soon  became  acquainted  with  his  fellow- 
prisoners,  and  the  stories  they  told  of  their  treat 
ment  made  the  cold  sweat  start  out  all  over  him ; 
but  when  he  spoke  of  escape,  he  was  surprised  to 
find  that  there  was  not  one  among  them  who  dared 
to  make  the  attempt.  But  this  did  not  alter  his 
determination.  He  resolved  that,  rather  than  re- 


]  10  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

main  in  prison,  he  would  go  alone.  He  grew 
stronger  every  day,  and  succeeded  in  securing  a 
pair  of  shoes,  and  a  compass,  for  which  he  gave 
the  last  shirt  he  had.  His  determination  was  to 
take  to  the  woods,  until  he  had  escaped  pursuit,  and 
then  strike  for  Red  River.  He  knew  that  this 
route  would  bring  him  out  a  good  distance  below 
Vicksburg,  but  still  it  would  be  easier  and  safer 
than  traveling  across  the  country;  and  he  hoped 
that  the  rebel  stronghold  would  be  taken  by  the 
time  he  reached  the  Mississippi  River. 

Finally,  one  dark  night — after  he  had  well  ma 
tured  his  plans — he  concluded  to  make  the  trial. 
So,  waiting  until  every  one  in  the  room  appeared  to 
be  asleep — for  he  had  been  told  that  there  were  some 
who  must  know  nothing  of  his  intention — he  care 
fully  raised  one  of  the  windows,  and  looked  out. 
He  had  made  all  his  observations  beforehand,  and 
knew  that  the  window  was  about  twenty  feet  above 
the  ground.  He  had  tried  in  vain  to  obtain  a 
rope  strong  enough  to  assist  him  in  his  descent; 
and  his  only  alternative  was,  to  hang  by  his  hands 
and  "drop**  to  the  ground,  where,  he  hoped,  aided 
by  the  darkness,  to  escape  the  fire  of  the  guards. 

He  was  crawling  noiselessly  out  of  the  window, 


THE   ESCAPED  141 

when  he  was  startled  by  the  creaking  of  the  stairs, 
as  if  some  one  was  descending  them;  and,  at  the 
same  time,  hasty  footsteps  sounded  under  the  win 
dow.  Frank  saw  that  he  had  been  discovered,  and, 
hastily  climbing  back  into  the  room,  he  closed  the 
window  and  threw  himself  on  the  floor,  and  ap 
peared  to  be  fast  asleep. 

"  Very  well  done ! "  exclaimed  an  officer,  who 
suddenly  appeared  at  the  top  of  the  stairs.  "  Very 
well  done,  indeed.  Now,  you  young  Yankee,  I 
do  n't  Avant  to  see  you  try  that  move  again.  If  you 
do,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  shoot  you.  Do  you  under 
stand?" 

Frank  replied  in  the  affirmative  ;  and  the  officer, 
after  satisfying  himself  that  the  prisoners  were  all 
in  the  room,  went  below  again,  leaving  a  guard  at 
the  head  of  the  stairs,  who  kept  a  close  watch  upon 
Frank  until  morning. 

He  was  a  good  deal  annoyed  and  perplexed  at 
the  unsuccessful  termination  of  his  adventure ;  but 
he  could  not  make  up  his  mind  what  it  was  that  had 
led  to  his  discovery.  Still,  he  was  not  discouraged ; 
but,  in  spite  of  the  officer's  warning,  determined  to 
renew  his  attempt  at  escape,  as  soon  as  an  oppor 
tunity  was  offered. 


142  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

The  next  day,  while  he  was  eating  his  scanty  din 
ner,  the  lieutenant  in  charge  of  the  prisoners  came 
in,  and,  as  was  his  custom,  began  to  argue  with 
them  as  to  the  probable  termination  of  the  war. 
Frank  had  always  hoped  that  he  would  let  him 
alone,  for  the  lieutenant  invariably  became  enraged 
if  the  prisoners  endeavored  to  uphold  their  Govern 
ment. 

"Well,  young  man,"  he  exclaimed,  walking  up 
to  Frank,  "how  do  you  get  along?" 

"As  well  as  can  be  expected,  I  suppose,"  an 
swered  Frank. 

"How  do  you  relish  being  a  prisoner?  Are 
you  not  sorry  that  you  ever  took  up  arms  against 
us?" 

"  No,  I  am  not,"  answered  Frank,  indignantly. 
"You'll  have  to  fight  me  again,  as  soon  as  I  get 
out  of  this  scrape." 

"What  made  you  come  down  here  to  fight  us?" 

"  Because  I  thought  you  needed  a  good  drub- 
bing." 

"Well,  we  haven't  had  it  yet;"  said  the  lieu 
tenant,  stroking  his  moustache.  "  Why  did  n't  you 
take  Fort  Pemberton?  You  got  the  worst  of  it 
there.  We  sunk  the  Ticonderoga." 


THE    ESCAPE.  143 

"  Oh,  yes,"  answered  Frank,  with  a  sneer,  "  no 
doubt  of  it.  But,  on  the  whole,  I  think  you  had 
better  tell  that  to  the  marines." 

"  You  do  n't  believe  it,  then  !  Well,  how  do  you 
think  this  war  is  going  to  end  ?  " 

"  Now,  see  here,"  said  Frank,  u  I  wish  you  would 
travel  on,  and  let  me  alone.  I  am  a  prisoner,  and 
in  your  power;  and  I  do  n't  want  to  be  abused  for 
speaking  my  mind;  for,  if  I  answer  your  ques 
tions  at  all,  I  shall  say  just  what  I  think." 

u  That  is  what  I  like,"  said  the  lieutenant. 
"You  need  not  be  afraid  to  speak  your  mind 
freely.  Now,  tell  me,  how  do  you  think  this 
struggle  will  end  ?  " 

"There  is  only  one  way  for  it  to  end,  and  that 
is  in  your  subjugation." 

"But  what  is  your  object  in  fighting  us?" 

"  To  preserve  the  Union !  " 

"  You  're  a  liar ! "  shouted  the  lieutenant. 
"  You  're  fighting  to  free  the  niggers." 

'•Well,  have  it  your  own  way,"  answered  Frank. 
"But,  if  I  'in  a  liar,  you  're  a  gentleman,  so  take  it 
and  go  on.  You  need  not  ask  me  any  more  ques 
tions,  for  I  shan't  answer  them." 

The  lieutenant  muttered  something  about  hang- 


N 

144  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

ing  every  Yankee  he  could  catch  if  he  could  have 
his  own  way,  and  moved  away;  and  Frank  was 
left  to  finish  his  dinner  in  peace. 

That  afternoon,  a  soldier,  whose  name  was  Cabot, 
came  and  sat  down  beside  Frank,  and  inquired : 

"  Did  n't  you  try  to  escape  last  night?" 

"  Yes,  but  I  was  discovered." 

"You  would  not  have  been,  if  one  of  our  own 
men  had  n't  split  on  you." 

"What!"  exclaimed  Frank,  "you  don't  pretend 
to  say  that  a  Federal  soldier  was  mean  enough  to 
inform  against  me?" 

"  Yes,  I  do ;  and  there  he  stands  now."  And,  as 
Cabot  spoke,  he  pointed  to  a  tall,  hard-featured 
man  standing  by  the  window,  looking  out  into  the 
street.  "I  slept  at  the  head  of  the  stairs  last 
night,  and  distinctly  heard  him  tell  the  guards  that 
you  were  intending  to  leave.  His  name  is  Bishop, 
and  he  belongs  to  the  Thirtieth  Maine  Regiment. 
He  has  for  some  time  past  been  trying  to  be  al 
lowed  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  South."* 

"What  will  he  do  then?"  inquired  Frank;  "go 
into  the  rebel  army?" 

*  A  fact. 


THE    ESCAPE.  145 

"No,  but  he  could  be  employed  here  in  the  ar- 
eenal,  making  bullets  to  kill  our  own  men  with." 

"  The  scoundrel ! "  exclaimed  Frank,  indignantly ; 
"I  didn't  suppose  there  was  a  man  from  my  own 
State  who  could  be  guilty  of  such  meanness." 

"Ho  is  mean  enough  for  any  thing.  Haven't 
you  noticed  that  every  night  he  comes  around 
through  our  quarters  with  a  candle  ? " 

"Yes;  but  I  don't  know  what  he  does  it 
for." 

"Well,  he  counts  us  every  night  before  he  goes 
to  sleep,  and,  in  fact,  comes  through  our  room  two 
or  three  times  in  the  night,  to  see  that  none  of  us 
have  escaped.  He  hopes  in  that  manner  to  gain 
favor  with  the  rebels.  I  have  told  you  this,  in  or 
der  that  you  may  look  out  for  him  the  next  time 
you  try  to  escape." 

Frank  was  astounded  at  this  intelligence,  and,  at 
first,  he  did  not  believe  it.  But  that  evening, 
about  nine  o'clock,  Bishop  came  in,  as  usual,  with 
his  candle,  and  Frank  inquired: 

"What  made  you  tell  the  guard  that  I  was  going 
to  escape  last  night?" 

The  question  was  asked  so  suddenly — and  in  a 
manner  which  showed  Bishop  that  Frank  was  well 
10 


146  FRANK   ON  A   GUN-BOAT. 

acquainted  with  his  treachery — that  he  dared  not 
deny  the  charge,  and  he  answered : 

"  Because,  when  any  of  our  boys  escape,  the 
guards  are  awful  hard  on  those  of  us  that  are  left." 

"That's  no  excuse  at  all,"  answered  Frank, 
"If  you  were  a  man,  you  would  have  endeavored 
to  escape  long  ago,  instead  of  staying  here  and 
trying  to  make  friends  with  the  enemies  of  your 
country.  You  're  a  black-hearted  scoundrel  and 
traitor!  and  I  tell  you,  once  for  allj  that  if  you 
ever  come  into  my  quarters  again  after— dark, 
you  '11  never  go  out  alive.  We  all  know  about 
your  operations  here." 

Bishop  made  no  reply,  but  turned  to  walk  on, 
when  Frank  rose  to  his  feet,  and  exclaimed: 

"Hold  on,  here!  you  are  not  going  through 
this  room  with  that  candle.  Go  back  instantly 
where  you  belong,  and  don't  show  your  face  in 
here  again." 

Bishop  saw  that  Frank  was  in  earnest,  and,  with 
out  saying  a  word,  he  turned  and  walked  into  his 
quarters. 

Frank  had  a  twofold  object  in  talking  to  him 
as  he  did.  He  wanted  to  let  him  know  that  his 
fellow-prisoners  all  knew  what  he  had  done,  and 


THE    ESCAPE.  147 

he  wished,  also,  to  deter  him  from  coming  into 
that  room  again,  as  he  had  deti  Trained  to  make 
another  attempt  at  escape  that  very  night.  The 
traitor  had  no  sooner  disappeared  than  Frank  de 
scended  the  stairs  that  led  down  into  the  hall, 
at  the  foot  of  which  there  were  two  guards 
posted. 

"Hallo,  Yank!"  said  one  of  them,  as  Frank 
came  down,  "I  reckon  as  how  you  had  better 
travel  right  back  up  sta'rs  agin,  'cause  it 's  agin 
orders  to  'low  you  fellers  to  come  down  here  a'ter 
dark." 

"I  know  it  is,"  answered  Frank;  "but  it  is  so 
awful  hot  up  stairs  that  I  can't  stand  it.  You  '11 
let  me  stay  down  here  long  enough  to  cool  off  a 
little,  won't  you?" 

"Wai,"  answered  the  guard,  who  really  seemed 
to  be  a  kind-hearted  fellow,  "  I  reckon  as  how  you 
mought  stay  here  a  minit;  but  you  mustn't  stay 
no  longer." 

"All  right,"  answered  Frank;  and  he  seated 
himself  on  the  lower  step,  and  talked  with  the 
guards  until  he  was  informed  that  it  was  high  time 
he  was  "  travelin'  back  up  sta'rs." 

"  Very  well,"  answered  Frank,  rising  to  his  feet, 


148  FKANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

and  stretching  himself,  "I'll  go,  if  you  want  me 
to." 

And  he  did  go.  With  one  bound  he  dashed  by 
the  astonished  guards,  and,  before  they  could  fire 
a  shot,  he  had  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 

His  escape  had  been  accomplished  much  easier 
than  he  had  anticipated.  He  had  expected  at 
least  a  shot  from  the  guards,  and,  perhaps,  a 
struggle  with  them ;  for,  when  he  left  his  quarters, 
he  had  determined  to  escape,  or  die  in  the  attempt. 
In  a  few  moments  he  reached  the  bushes  thnt 
lined  the  road  on  both  sides,  and  threw  himself 
flat  among  them,  and  determined  to  wait  until  his 
pursuers  had  passed  on,  so  that  he  would  be  on 
their  trail,  instead  of  having  them  on  his.  It  was 
well  that  he  had  adopted  this  precaution,  for  he 
had  scarcely  concealed  himself  before  the  roll  of  a 
drum  announced  that  the  guards  were  being 
aroused,  and  that  the  pursuit  was  about  to  com 
mence;  and  presently  a  squad  of  cavalry  dashed 
rapidly  by,  and  a  crashing  in  the  bushes  told  him 
that  a  party  of  men  were  searching  the  woods  for 
him.  As  soon  as  his  pursuers  were  out  of  hear 
ing,  Frank  rose  to  his  feet,  and  ran  along  the  road, 
close  to  the  bushes,  so  that,  if  he  heard  any  one 


THE    ESCAPE.  149 

approaching,  he  would  have  a  place  of  concealment 
close  at  hand.  He  had  made,  perhaps,  half  a  mile 
in  this  way,  when  he  discovered  a  man  pacing  up 
and  down  the  road,  with  a  musket  on  his  shoulder. 
lie  was  evidently  a  picket;  and  Frank,  knowing 
that  his  comrades  were  not  far  off,  drew  back  into 
the  bushes,  out  of  sight.  Which  way  should  he 
go  now?  This  was  a  question  which  he  could  not 
answer  satisfactorily.  There  was,  doubtless,  another 
picket-post  not  far  off,  and  if,  in  going  through 
the  woods,  he  should  stumble  upon  it,  he  would  be 
shot  down  before  he  had  a  chance  for  flight. 
Should  he  attempt  to  pass  the  sentinel  by  strategy? 
This  seemed  to  be  the  most  feasible  plan,  for  he 
would  have  a  much  better  chance  to  escape  in 
running  by  one  man,  than  risking  the  shots  of  half 
a  dozen.  Besides,  he  had  no  weapon  whatever, 
and  he  resolved  to  secure  the  picket's  gun,  if  pos 
sible;  so,  waiting  until  his  back  was  turned,  he 
came  out  of  his  place  of  concealment,  and  ap 
proached  him. 

"  Who  comes  there  ?  "  shouted  the  picket. 

"A  friend,"  answered  Frank. 

"Advance,  friend,  and  give  the  countersign." 

"Never  mind  the  countersign,"  answered  Frank; 


150  FRANK    ON   A   GIN-BOAT. 

"  I  have  n't  got  it.  Have  you  seen  any  thing  of  an 
escaped  Yankee  prisoner  out  here?" 

"No,"  answered  the  rebel,  lowering  his  gun, 
which  he  had  held  at  a  charge  bayonet.  ullo 
did  n't  come  around  here.  But  a  company  of 
cavalry  went  by  just  now,  and  my  relief  went  with 
them." 

"And  left  you  here  alone?"  said  Frank,  who 
had  continued  to  approach  the  picket,  until  he  was 
now  within  arm's  length  of  him. 

a  Yes,"  answered  the  rebel ;  "  and  I  think  it  is 
a  pretty  way  to  do  business,  for  it  is  time  I  was  " — 

He  never  finished  the  sentence ;  for  Frank 
sprang  upon  him  like  a  tiger,  and  seizing  his  throat, 
with  a  powerful  gripe,  threw  him  to  the  ground; 
and,  hastily  catching  up  the  musket  which  had 
fallen  from  his  enemy's  hand,  dealt  him  a  severe 
blow  on  the  head.  The  muscles  of  the  rebel  in 
stantly  relaxed ;  and  Frank — after  unbuckling  his 
cartridge-box,  and  fastening  it  to  his  own  waist — 
shouldered  his  musket,  and  ran  boldly  along  the 
road.  He  traveled  until  almost  daylight,  without 
Becing  any  one,  and  then  turned  off  into  the  woods. 

About  noon,  he  came  to  a  road,  and,  as  he  was 
crossing  it,  a  bullet  whistled  past  him,  and,  the 


THE    ESCAPE.  151 

next  moment,  a  party  of  rebels,  whom  lie  had  not 
noticed,  dashed  down  the  road  in  pursuit.  Frank 
returned  the  shot,  and  then  started  for  the  woods, 
loading  his  musket  as  he  went.  He  soon  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  that  he  was  gaining  on  his 
pursuers,  and,  although  the  bullets  whizzed  by  his 
head  in  unpleasant  proximity,  he  escaped  unhurt. 
The  rebels,  however,  were  not  so  fortunate ;  for 
Frank  fired  as  fast  as  he  could  load  his  gun,  and 
at  every  shot  a  rebel  measured  his  length  on  the 
ground. 

For  almost  two  hours  his  pursuers  remained 
within  gun-shot ;  but  finding  it  impossible  to  cap 
ture  him,  or,  perhaps,  struck  with  terror  at  his  skill 
as  a  marksman,  they  abandoned  the  pursuit.  This 
was  a  lucky  circumstance  for  Frank,  for,  to  his 
astonishment  and  terror,  he  discovered  that  his  last 
cartridge  had  been  expended.  But  still,  he  was 
rejoicing  over  his  escape,  when  a  man  rose  out  of 
the  bushes,  close  at  his  side,  and  seized  him  by  the 
collar. 


152 


FRANK    ON    A   GUN-BOAT. 


CHAPTER   XIII 


AL,  now,  I'll  be  dog-gone,  but  you 
are  lively  on  your  legs,  for  a  little 
one,"  exclaimed  the  rebel,  with  a 
laugh.  "  But  you  're  a  safe  Yank 
now." 

"Not  yet,  I  ain't,"  answered 
Frank.  "  I  want  you  to  understand 
that  it 's  my  principle  never  to  surrender  without  a 
fight ;"  and,  suddenly  exerting  all  his  strength,  he 
tore  himself  away  from  his  captor,  leaving  part  of 
his  collar  in  his  grasp. 

The  rebel  was  taken  completely  by  surprise,  for 
he  had  supposed  that  Frank  would  surrender  with 
out  a  struggle ;  but  the  latter  brought  his  musket 
to  a  charge  bayonet,  in  a  way  that  showed  he  wag 
in  earnest.  The  rebel  was  the  better  armed,  car 
rying  a  neat  sporting  rifle,  to  which  was  attached 


THE    FAITHFUL    NEGRO.  153 

a  long,  sharp  saber-bayonet.  Frank  noticed  this 
difference,  but  resolutely  stood  his  ground,  and,  as 
he  was  very  expert  in  the  bayonet  exercise,  and 
as  his  enemy  appeared  to  be  but  very  little  his 
superior  in  strength  and  agility,  he  had  no  fear  as 
to  the  result  of  the  conflict. 

At  length  the  rebel,  after  eyeing  his  youthful  an 
tagonist  for  a  moment,  commenced  maneuvering 
slowly,  intending,  if  possible,  to  draw  him  out. 
But  Frank  stood  entirely  on  the  defensive;  fail 
ing  in  this  mode  of  attack,  the  rebel  began  to  grow 
excited,  and  became  quicker  in  his  movements. 
But  his  efforts  were  useless,  for  Frank — although 
a  little  pale,  which  showed  that  he  knew  the  struggle 
must  end  in  the  death  of  one  or  the  other  of  them — 
did  not  retreat  an  inch,  but  coolly  parried  every 
thrust  made  by  his  infuriated  enemy,  with  the  skill 
of  a  veteran.  The  rebel  was  again  obliged  to 
change  his  plan  of  attack,  and  commenced  by 
rushing  furiously  upon  Frank,  endeavoring  to 
beat  down  his  guard  by  mere  strength.  But  this 
proved  his  ruin;  for  Frank  met  him  promptly  at 
all  points,  and,  watching  the  moment  when  the  rebel 
carelessly  opened  his  guard,  he  sprang  forward  and 
buried  his  bayonet  to  the  hilt  in  his  breast.  The 


154  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

thrust  was  mortal,  and  the  rebel  threw  his  arms 
above  his  head,  and  sank  to  the  ground  without  a 
groan. 

"  I  believe  he  's  done  for,'7  said  Frank  to  him 
self;  and  he  stepped  up  to  take  a  nearer  look  at  his 
enemy.  There  he  lay,  his  pale  face  upturned,  and 
the  blood  running  from  an  ugly  wound  in  the  region 
of  his  heart.  "  I  do  believe  he  is  dead,"  repeated 
Frank,  with  a  shudder,  as  he  gazed  sorrowfully  at 
the  work  he  had  done.  "  But  there  was  no  al 
ternative  between  his  death  and  a  long  confinement 
in  prison.  It  was  done  in  self-defense;"  and  he 
turned  to  walk  away. 

Just  then  the  thought  struck  him  that  he  would 
take  the  rebel's  gun ;  his  own  was  worse  than  use 
less,  for  his  cartridges  had  all  been  expended.  So, 
throwing  down  his  heavy  musket,  he  picked  up  the 
rifle  his  enemy  had  carried,  and,  slinging  the 
powder-horn  and  bullet-pouch  over  his  shoulder, 
he  started  off'  through  the  woods. 

But  where  should  he  go?  His  escape,  and  the 
manner  in  which  it  was  accomplished,  had  doubt 
less  aroused  the  entire  country.  The  woods  around 
him  were  filled  with  rebels,  and  the  question  was, 
in  which  .direction  .should  he  turn,  to  avoid  them? 


THE    FAITHFUL    NEGRO.  155 

After  some  hesitation,  he  determined  to  go  as  di 
rectly  through  the  woods,  toward  the  river,  as 
possible,  and,  if  discovered,  trust  to  his  woodcraft 
and  swiftne>s  of  foot  to  save  him.  With  this  de 
termination,  he  shouldered  his  rifle  and  walked 
rapidly  on,  taking  care,  however,  to  keep  a  good 
look-out  on  all  sides,  and  to  make  as  little  noise 
as  possible.  All  sounds  of  the  pursuit  had  died 
away,  and  the  woods  were  as  silent  as  midnight. 
But  even  this  was  a  source  of  fear  to  Frank ;  for 
he  knew  not  what  tree  or  thicket  concealed  an  en 
emy,  nor  how  soon  the  stillness  would  be  broken 
by  the  crack  of  a  rifle  and  the  whistle  of  a  hostile 
bullet. 

At  length  the  sun  went  down,  and  it  began  to 
grow  dark  ;  but  still  Frank  walked  on,  wishing  to 
get  as  far  away  from  the  scene  of  the  fight  as  pos 
sible.  Presently  he  heard  a  sound  that  startled 
him  :  it  was  the  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs,  on  a  hard, 
well-beaten  road.  Nearer  and  nearer  came  the 
sound,  and,  in  a  few  moments,  a  company  of  cav 
alry  passed  by,  and  Frank  could  distinctly  hear 
them  laughing  and  talking  with  each  other. 

When  they  were  out  of  hearing,  he  paused  to 
deliberate.  It  was  evident  that  he  could  not  travel 


156  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

through  those  deep  woods  at  night ;  should  he  wait 
until  it  became  dark,  and  then  boldly  follow  the 
road,  or  should  he  remain  where  he  was  until  morn 
ing?  There  was  one  great  objection  to  the  first 
proposition,  and  that  was  his  uniform,  and  the 
danger  he  would  run  of  being  captured  by  the 
night  patrol,  which  he  knew  were  stationed  at  in 
tervals  along  the  road.  It  did  not  seem  possible 
for  him  to  remain  where  he  was ;  for  now,  that  he 
had  partly  got  over  his  excitement,  he  began  to 
feel  the  cravings  of  hunger ;  in  fact,  it  almost  ren 
dered  him  desperate,  and  he  began  to  wish  that  he 
had  surrendered  without  a  struggle,  or  that  he  had 
not  attempted  to  escape  at  all,  for,  if  he  were  a 
prisoner,  he  could  probably  obtain  sufficient  food  to 
keep  him  from  starving.  But  he  knew  that  his 
time  was  too  precious  to  be  wasted  with  such  fool 
ish  thoughts ;  besides,  when  he  thought  of  home 
and  his  mother,  who  had  evidently  heard  of  his 
capture,  all  ideas  of  surrendering  himself  vanished, 
and  he  felt  that  he  could  endure  any  thing,  even 
starvation,  if  he  only  had  the  assurance  that  he 
would  see  home  once  more.  But  he  knew  that 
wishing  would  not  bring  him  out  of  his  present 
difficulty:  he  "must  work  for  his  liberty;  do  every 


THE    FAITHFUL   NEGRO.  157 

thing  in  his  power,  and  leave  the  rest  to  Provi 
dence. 

He  started  out  again,  and  determined  that  his 
first  step  should  be  to  reconnoiter  the  road.  No 
one  was  in  sight ;  but,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
down  the  road,  on  the  other  side,  was  a  large  plant 
ation-house,  with  its  neat  negro  quarters  cluster 
ing  around  it,  and  looking  altogether  like  a  little 
village.  He  knew  that  some  of  the  cabins  were 
inhabited,  for  he  saw  the  smoke  wreathing  out  of 
the  chimneys ;  could  he  not  go  to  one  of  them,  and 
obtain  food  ?  He  had  often  heard  of  escaped  pris 
oners  being  fed  and  sheltered  by  the  negroes ;  why 
could  not  he  throw  himself  under  their  protection? 
He  must  have  something  to  satisfy  his  hunger ; 
and  if  he  could  but  gain  the  woods  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  road,  it  would  require  but  a  few 
moments  to  reach  the  house.  He  determined  to 
try  it.  Glancing  hastily  up  and  down  the  road, 
he  clutched  his  rifle  desperately,  and  started.  A 
few  rapid  steps  carried  him  across  the  road;  he 
cleared  the  fence  at  a  bound,  and  was  out  of  sight, 
in  the  bushes,  in  a  moment.  He  immediately 
started  for  the  nearest  cabin,  and,  in  a  few  mo 
ments,  came  to  a  stand-still  in  a  thicket  of  bushes 


158  FRANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

just  behind  it.  There  was  some  one  in  the  cabin, 
for  he  could  see  a  light  shining  through  the  cracks 
between  the  logs ;  and  he  distinctly  heard  the  mu 
sic  of  a  violin,  and  a  voice  singing : 

"The  sun  shines  bright  in  my  ole  Kentucky  home" — 

But  still  he  hesitated  to  advance ;  his  courage  had 
failed  him.  What,  if  the  negro — for  he  was  cer 
tain  it  was  a  negro  in  the  cabin — should  betray 
him  ?  What  if —  His  reverie  was  suddenly  inter 
rupted  by  the  approach  of  a  horseman  on  the  road. 
Presently  a  rebel  officer  rode  leisurely  by.  When 
he  arrived  opposite  the  house,  a  man,  who  was  sit 
ting  on  the  portico,  and  whom  Frank  had  not 
noticed,  hailed  the  horseman,  who  drew  in  his  rein, 
and  stopped. 

"  Have  you  caught  them  all  yet  ?  "  inquired  the 
man  on  the  portico. 

"No,"  answered  the  officer;  "not  yet.  One 
of  them  gave  us  the  slip ;  a  little  fellow ;  belongs 
to  the  gun-boats.  He  's  around  here  somewhere ; 
but  we  '11  have  him  to-morrow,  for  he  can't  escape. 
If  he  comes  around  here,  and  you  think  there  is 
any  chance  to  take  him  alive,  just  send  down  to 
the  Forks  for  us.  If  not,  you  had  better  shoot 


TIIE   FAITHFUL   NEGRO.  150 

him.  1  would  n't  advise  you  to  meddle  with  him 
much,  however,  for  he  's  a  dead  shot,  and  fights 
like  a  cuss." 

"Did  he  kill  any  of  the  boys?"  asked  the  man 
on  the  portico. 

"  Yes ;  he  killed  Bill  Richards,  who  was  on 
guard  at  the  time  he  escaped,  and  stole  his  musket 
and  cartridge-box.  I  suppose  you  heard  of  that. 
And  then,  when  we  got  after  him,  he  ran  through 
the  woods  like  a  deer,  loading  his  gun  as  he  went, 
and  every  time  he  turned  around,  somebody  had 
to  drop.  Finally,  old  Squire  Davis's  son  overtook 
him,  and  they  had  a  regular  hand-to-hand  fight; 
but  the  little  one,  as  usual,  came  out  at  the  top  of 
the  heap." 

"  Did  he  kill  young  Davis  ?  " 

"  Yes,  as  dead  as  a  smelt ;  stuck  a  bayonet  clean 
through  his  heart.  But  I  must  be  going.  Keep 
an  eye  out  for  him  ! " 

"All  right,"  answered  the  man  on  the  portico; 
and  the  horseman  rode  off. 

What  Frank's  feelings  were,  as  he  lay  there  in 
the  bushes,  and  listened  to  this  conversation — every 
word  of  which  he  overheard — we  will  not  attempt 
to  say.  But  it  showed  him  that  his  enemies  feared 


160  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

him,  and  dreaded  to  meet  him  single-handed ;  and 
that,  if  he  were  retaken,  his  life  would  not  be  worth 
a  moment's  purchase.  He  had  all  along  been  per 
fectly  aware  that  his  case  was  desperate,  and  that 
he  had  undertaken  something  at  which  many  a  per 
son,  with  twice  his  years  and  experience,  would 
have  hesitated.  His  condition  seemed  utterly 
hopeless.  He  had  never  before  realized  his  danger, 
or  what  would  be  his  fate  if  he  were  captured ;  but 
now  all  the  difficulties  before  him  seemed  to  stand 
out  in  bold  relief.  Yet  this  knowledge  did  not  act 
upon  him  as  with  some  persons ;  it  only  nerved  him 
for  yet  greater  exertions,  and  with  a  determination 
to  brave  every  danger  before  him. 

When  the  horseman  had  disappeard,  and  the 
man  on  the  portice  had  returned  to  his  seat,  Frank 
again  turned  his  attention  to  the  cabin.  After 
putting  a  new  cap  on  his  rifle,  he  threw  it  into  the 
hollow  of  his  arm,  and  crawled  noiselessly  out  of 
his  place  of  concealment.  When  he  reached  the 
cabin,  he  raised  to  his  feet,  boldly  ascended  the 
steps,  and  knocked  at  the  door,  intending,  if  his 
demand  for  food  was  not  instantly  complied  with, 
to  take  it  by  force. 

"Who  dar?"  inquired  a  voice  from  the  inside. 


THE    FAITHFUL    NEGRO.  161 

Frank  made  no  reply,  but  was  about  to  repeat 
the  summons,  when  the  door  was  thrown  open,  and 
an  old,  gray-headed  negro  woman  appeared  before 
him.  Frank  was  about  to  make  known  his  wants, 
when  the  woman,  who  had  thrown  the  door  wide 
open,  to  allow  the  light  to  fall  upon  him,  ex 
claimed  : 

"Why,  de  Lor'  Almighty  bress  us!  Come  in, 
chile.  What  is  you  standin'  out  dar  for?  Come 
in,  I  tol'  you."  And  Frank  was  seized  by  the  arm 
and  pulled  into  the  cabin,  and  the  door  was  closed 
carefully  behind  him. 

"Stop  dat  'ar  fiddlin',  ole  man,"  continued  the 
wroman,  addressing  herself  to  an  aged  negro,  who 
was  seated  in  an  easy  chair  in  the  chimney  corner ; 
"stop  dat  'ar  fiddlin',  an'  git  up  an'  give  young 
massa  dat  cheer." 

"I  don't  wish  to  give  you  any  trouble,"  said 
Frank.  "I'm  not  the  least  bit  tired;  but  I  would 
like  something  to  eat." 

"No  trouble  't  all,  chile,"  said  the  old  woman. 
"Now,  don't  you  go  talkin'  'bout  trouble.  I 
knows  who  you  is.  Set  down  .dar."  And  the 
old  wroman  pointed  to  the  chair  which  the  man 
had  vacated.  "I'll  give  you  somethin'  to  eat, 
11 


162  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

right  away.  Pomp,  ole  man,  git  up  an'  cut  some 
o'  dat  ham;"  and  the  woman  bustled  about  in  a 
state  of  considerable  excitement. 

Frank  hid  his  rifle  behind  a  coat  which  hung  in 
one  corner  of  the  cabin,  and  was  about  to  take 
possession  of  the  chair,  when  hasty  steps  were 
heard  on  the  walk  leading  to  the  cabin. 

"Gorry  mighty!"  exclaimed  the  old  negro,  in 
alarm,  "dar  come  de  oberseer.  Git  under  the 
bed — quick,  young  massa.  You  '11  be  safe  dar — 
quick." 

Frank  had  hardly  time  to  act  upon  this  sugges 
tion,  when  the  door  suddenly  opened,  and  a  shaggy 
head  appeared. 

"  Have  n't  you  had  your  supper  yet,  Pomp, 
you  black  rascal?"  inquired  the  overseer,  wit 
nessing  the  preparations  for  cooking  that  were 
going  on. 

"  I  Js  only  been  home  a  few  minutes,  massa," 
answered  Pomp. 

"Well,  hurry  up,  then.  I  came  here,"  continued 
the  overseer,  "to  tell  you  that  there  is  a  Yankee 
prowling  around,  here  somewhere;  if  he  comes 
here,  I  want  you  to  send  for  me.  Do  you  under 
stand?" 


THE    FAITHFUL   NEGRO.  163 

"  Yos,  massa,"  answered  Pomp. 

"Don't  you  feed  him,  or  do  any  thing  else  lor 
him,"  continued  the  overseer.  "If  you  do,  I'll 
whip  you  to  death.  Now,  mind  what  I  tell  you." 
And  the  overseer  closed  the  door,  and  departed, 
to  carry  the  same  information  and  warning  to  the 
other  cabins. 

As  soon  as  the  sound  of  his  footsteps  had  died 
away,  Pomp  whispered : 

"All  right  now,  young  massa.  You  can  come 
out  now — no  danger.  The  oberseer  won't  cx)me 
to  dis  house  g'in  dis  night." 

Frank,  accordingly,  crawled  out  from  under  the 
bed,  and  seated  himself  in  the  easy  chair,  while 
the  old  woman  went  on  with  her  cooking.  In  a  few 
minutes,  which  seemed  an  age  to  Frank,  however, 
the  meal,  which  consisted  of  coffee,  made  of 
parched  corn,  ham,  honey,  and  corn-bread,  was 
ready.  Frank  thought  he  had  never  eaten  so 
good  a  meal  before.  'He  forgot  the  danger  of  his 
situation,  and  listened  to  the  conversation  of  the 
old  negro  and  his  wife,  as  though  there  was  not  a 
rebel  within  a  hundred  miles  of  him. 

"There,"  he  exclaimed,  after  he  had  finished 
the  last  piece  of  corn-bread,  and  pushed  his  chair 


1(34  FRANK   ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

back  from  the  table,  "  I  believe  I  've  eaten  supper 
enough  to  satisfy  any  two  men  living." 

"Has  yer  had  enough,  chile?"  asked  the  old 
woman.  "  I 's  glad  to  see  yer  eat.  I  wants  to 
do  all  I  can  for  you  Yankee  sogers." 

"  Oh,  I  've  had  a  great  plenty,  aunty,"  answered 
Frank,  as  he  rose  from  the  table.  "Now,  I  must 
bid  you  good-by,"  he  continued,  as  he  pulled  his 
rifle  out  from  its  hiding-place.  "  I  shall  never  be 
able  to  repay  you;  but" — 

"Lor'  A'mighty,  chile!"  interrupted  the  old 
woman,  "whar's  you  gwine?  You  mustn't  say 
one  word  'bout  gwine  out  o'  dis  house  dis  night. 
I's  got  a  bed  all  fixed  for  you,  an'  Pomp  will 
wake  you  up  early  in  de  mornin',  an'  show  you  de 
way  fru  de  swamp." 

"Put  away  dat  gun,  young  niassa,"  chimed  in 
Pomp ;  "  dere  's  no  danger." 

Frank  could  not  resist  this  appeal,  for  the  bed, 
which  the  old  woman  had  made  for  him  in  one 
corner  of  the  cabin,  rough  as  it  was,  was  a  pleas 
ant  sight  to  his  eyes.  So,  after  hiding  his  rifle 
under  one  of  the  quilts,  where  he  could  get  hig 
hand  upon  it  at  a  moment's  warning,  he  threw 
himself  upon  the  bed  without  removing  his  clothes, 


THE    FAITHFUL    NEGRO.  165 

and  was  fast  asleep  in  a  moment.  It  seemed  to 
him  that  he  had  hardly  closed  his  eyes,  when  a 
hand  was  laid  on  his  shoulder,  and  Pomp's  voice 
whispered  in  his  ear: 

"Wake  up,  young  massa:  'most  daylight." 
"You  sleep  mighty  sound,  chile,"  said  the  old 
woman,  as  Frank  rose  from  the  bed.  "I's  sorry 
to  be  'blig'ed  to  'sturb  you,  but  you  must  be  gwine 
now.  Here 's  a  little  bite  for  you  to  eat."  As 
she  spoke,  she  handed  Frank  a  haversack,  such  as 
he  had  often  seen  used  by  the  soldiers  of  the  rebel 
army,  filled  with  corn-bread  and  cold  ham.  Frank 
slung  it  over  his  shoulder,  and,  after  pulling  his 
rifle  out  from  under  the  bed,  said : 

"Aunty,  I  thank  you  for  your  kindness  to" — 
"Lor'  A'mighty,  chile!"  interrupted  the  woman, 
"  do  n't  say  one  word  'bout  dat,  I  tol'  you.     I 's 
sorry  we  can't  do  more  for  you ;  but  you  must  go 
away  now.     May  de  good  Lor'  bress  you." 

The  tears  rolled  down  the  old  woman's  cheeks 
as  she  said  this,  and  Frank  silently  shook  her 
hand,  and  followed  Pomp  out  into  the  darkness. 


166  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


HE  moon  had  gone  down,  the  stars 
were  hidden  by  thick,  heavy  clouds, 
and  it  was  so  dark  that  it  was  im 
possible  to  distinguish  the  nearest  ob- 
-•  jects.  Every  thing  was  as  silent  as 
death ;  but  this  did  not  affect  the  vigi 
lance  of  Pomp,  who  led  the  way  with 
noiseless  steps,  pausing,  now  and  then,  to  listen. 
They  met  with  no  difficulty,  however,  and,  in  a  few 
moments,  the  plantation  was  left  behind,  and  they 
entered  the  swamp.  It  was  a  chilly,  gloomy  place, 
and  the  darkness  was  impenetrable ;  but  Frank  re 
lied  implicitly  on  his  guide,  who  seemed  to  under 
stand  what  he  was  about,  and  kept  as  close  behind 
him  as  possible. 

For  an  hour  they  traveled   without   speaking ; 


CHASED    BY    BLOOD-HOUNDS.  1()7 

at  length  Pomp  stopped  on  the  bank  of  a  narrow 
but  deep  stream. 

u  Can  you  swim,  young  massa  ? "  he  inquired, 
turning  to  Frank. 

"  Yes,  like  a  duck,"  was  the  reply. 

"1's  mighty  glad  to  h'ar  it,"  said  Pomp; 
"  "cause  den  you  're  safe.  But  I 's  been  mighty 
oneasy  'bout  it,  'cause,  if  you  can't  swim,  you  're 
kotched,  shore.  Now,"  he  continued,  "  I  must  leave 
you  here,  'cause  I  do  n't  want  to  let  any  one  know 
dat  I 's  been  away  from  de  plantation.  You  must 
cross  dis  creek,  and  foller  dat  road,"  pointing  to  a 
narrowr,  well-beaten  bridle-path  on  the  opposite 
bank,  "an'  dat  will  lead  you  straight  to  de  Red 
Ribber.  Y~ou  must  keep  a  good  watch,  now,  'cause 
you  '11  h'ar  something  'fore  long  dat  '11  make  you 
wish  you  had  nebber  been  born.  I's  heered  it 
often,  an'  I  knows  what  it  is.  Good-by;  an'  de 
Lor'  bress  an'  protect  you ; "  and,  before  Frank 
could  speak,  Pomp  had  disappeared. 

Alone  !  The  young  hero  had  never  before  com 
prehended  the.  full  meaning  of  that  single  word,  as 
he  did  now.  Alone,  in  an  almost  unbroken  forest, 
which  was  filled  with  enemies,  who  were  thirsting 
for  his  blood ;  with  no  one  to  whom  he  could  go 


168  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

for  advice  or  assistance.  Is  it  to  be  wondered  that 
he  felt  lonely  and  discouraged  ? 

He  looked  back  to  the  scenes  through  winch  he 
had  passed:  the  fight;  his  capture;  the  long,  weary 
march,  under  a  burning  sun;  his  treatment  in  ths 
prison,  the  escape,  and  the  pursuit;  the  hand-to- 
hand  struggle  in  the  woods ;  all  came  up  vividly 
before  him,  and  he  wondered  how  he  had  escaped 
unhurt ;  and,  then,  what  had  the  future  in  store  for 
him  ?  The  warning  of  the  faithful  Pomp  was  still 
ringing  in  his  ears,  and  a  dread  of  impending  evil, 
which  he  could  not  shake  off,  continually  pressed 
upon  him.  For  the  first  time  since  his  escape, 
Frank  was  completely  unnerved.  Seating  himself 
on  the  ground,  he  covered  his  face  with  his  hands, 
and  cried  like  a  child. 

But  this  burst  of  weakness  did  not  continue  long, 
for  he  did  not  forget  that  he  was  still  in  danger. 
Hastily  dashing  the  tears  from  his  eyes,  he  rose 
to  his  feet,  and  prepared  to  cross  the  stream. 
Holding  his  rifle  and  ammunition  above  his  head 
with  one  hand,  he  swam  with  the  other,  reached 
the  opposite  bank  in  safety,  and  followed  the  path 
into  the  swamp.  A  mile  further  on,  he  came  to 
another  stream,  and  was  making  preparations  to 


CHASED    BY   BLOOD-HOUNDS.  1G9 

cross  it,  when  lie  was  startled  by  a  voice,  which 
sounded  from  the  opposite  bank : 

"  Who  goesh  dere  ?  " 

Instead  of  replying  to  the  challenge,  Frank 
sprang  behind  a  tree,  and,  looking  across  the  stream, 
discovered  a  tall,  powerfully-built  man,  dressed  in 
"butternut"  clothes,  holding  his  rifle  in  the  hollow 
of  his  arm.  In  an  instant  Frank's  gun  was  at  his 
shoulder,  and  his  finger  was  already  pressing  the 
trigger,  when  the  man  exclaimed : 

"  What  for  you  shoot  ?     I  be  a  friend." 

Frank,  although  fearful  of  treachery,  lowered  his 
gun,  and  the  Dutchman,  moving  out  of  the  bushes, 
leaned  on  his  rifle,  and  inquired: 

"  Where  you  go  ?  I  guess  you  been  a  gun-boat 
feller;  ain't  it?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Frank,  "  I  once  belonged  to 
a  gun-boat.  But  who  are  you  ?  " 

"  Me  ?  Oh,  I  was  a  captain  in  the  army.  Sher 
man  gets  licked  at  Wicksburg,  an'  I  gets  took 
brisoner;  an'  purty  quick  me  an'  anoder  feller 
runs  away.  Here  he  is;"  and,  as  the  Dutchman 
spoke,  a  man  wearing  a  shabby  Confederate  uni 
form  appeared. 

Frank's  mind  was  made  up  in  an  instant.     Be- 


170  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

yond  a  doubt  this  was  but  a  stratagem  to  capture 
him.  But  he  resolved  that  he  would  never  sur 
render,  as  long  as  he  had  sufficient  strength  to 
handle  his  rifle. 

"  Well,  my  young  friend,"  exclaimed  the  man 
in  the  rebel  uniform,  "  this  is  a  nice  dress  for  a 
Federal  officer  to  be  wearing,  isn't  it?" 

"  I  do  n't  believe  that  either  of  you  are  officers 
in  the  Federal  army,"  answered  Frank.  "  It 's  my 
opinion  that  you  are  both  rebels.  If  it  is  your  in 
tention  to  attempt  to  capture  me,  I  may  as  well  tell 
you  that  your  expectations  will  never  be  realized, 
for  I  shall  never  be  taken  alive;"  and  Frank 
handled  the  lock  of  his  gun  in  a  very  significant 
manner. 

"  I  admire  your  grit,"  said  the  man,  "  and  I  ac 
knowledge  that  you  have  strong  grounds  for  sus 
picion.  But  we  are  really  escaped  prisoners." 

"  Yah,"  chimed  in  the  Dutchman,  "I  shwear  dat 
is  so." 

"  It  is  no  fault  of  ours,"  continued  the  man, 
"that  we  are  wearing  rebel  uniforms;  for  we  were 
compelled  to  exchange  with  our  captors,  and  were 
obliged  to  accept  these,  or  go  without  any." 

"What  regiment  do  you  belong  to?" 


CHASED    BY    BLOOD-HOUNDS.  171 

"The  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth  Illinois 
Infantry,  Company  'K.'  I  formerly  belonged  to 
the  Forty-sixth  Maine." 

"  Do  you  know  any  of  the  boys  belonging  to 
Company  'B,'  °f  the  Forty-sixth  Maine  Regi 
ment':" 

'•Oh,  yes,"  replied  the  man,  "I  know  Harry 
and  George  Butler,  Ben  Lake,  and,  in  fact,  all  the 
boys  ;  for  I  once  belonged  to  that  very  company. 
My  home  is  only  twenty  miles  from  Lawrence, 
the  place  where  the  company  was  raised." 

Frank  did  not  stop  to  ask  any  more  questions, 
for  he  was  satisfied  that  he  had  fallen  in  with 
friends.  How  his  heart  bounded  at  meeting  one 
who  had  lived  so  near  his  o\\n  home !  He  hastily 
crossed  the  stream,  and,  seizing  the  man's  hand, 
shook  it  heartily. 

"I  am  overjoyed  at  meeting  with  you,  sir,"  he 
said,  in  a  voice  choked  with  emotion.  "Perhaps 
I  owe  you  an  apology;  but  you  will  acknowledge 
that  it  is  best  to  be  on  the  safe  side." 

"Certainly  it  is,"  answered  the  man.  "I 
should  have  done  exactly  as  you  did,  if  I  had 
been  in  your  place.  But  where  are  you  travelling 
to?" 


172  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

"  I  want  to  reach  Red  River,  as  soon  as  possible." 

"So  do  we!  But  we  have  lost  our  reckoning, 
and  do  n't  know  which  way  to  go." 

"I  do,"  said  Frank.  "This  path  leads  directly 
to  it." 

They  did  not  linger  long  to  converse — time  was 
too  precious  for  that — but  immediately  struck 
into  the  path,  Frank  leading  the  way.  He  soon 
learned  that  the  names  of  his  newly-found  friends 
were  Major  Williams  and  Captain  Schmidt.  They 
had  been  captured,  with  two  hundred  others,  at 
the  battle  of  Vicksburg,  and  had  escaped  while 
being  taken  into  Texas.  They  had  accomplished, 
perhaps,  half  a  dozen  miles  from  the  place  where 
they  met,  when  the  breeze  bore  to  their  ears  a 
sound  that  made  Frank  turn  as  pale  as  death,  and 
tremble  as  though  suddenly  seized  with  a  fit  of  the 
ague.  They  all  heard  it;  but  he  was  the  only  one 
who  knew  what  it  was. 

"What  ish  dat,  ony  how?"  coolly  inquired  the 
captain. 

Before  Frank  could  reply,  the  fearful  sound  was 
repeated,  faint  and  far  off,  but  still  nearer  than 
before. 

"Merciful  heavens!"  ejaculated  the  major,  who 


CHASED    BY   BLOOD-HOUNDS.  173 

now  understood  their  situation;  "is  it  possible  you 
do  n't  know  what  that  sound  is  ?  It  is  the  cry  of 
a  blood-hound!" 

"Oh,  yah!"  exclaimed  the  captain,  as  though 
the  idea  had  suddenly  come  into  his  head,  "I  did 
think  it  vas  a  dorg." 

"Push  ahead  now,  boys,  for  Heaven's  sake!" 
exclaimed  the  major.  "Push  ahead  as  fast  as 
possible." 

The  captain  evidently  did  not  comprehend  the 
danger  of  their  situation;  but  Frank  and  the 
major  knew  that  their  lives  depended  upon  the 
next  few  moments.  Oh,  how  thankful  was  Frank 
that  he  was  not  alone !  He  now  knew  the  mean 
ing  of  Pomp's  warning;  and  the  dreadful  sound 
had  so  unnerved  him,  that  it  was  with  great  diffi 
culty  he  could  keep  on  his  way.  But  this  lasted 
only  for  a  moment.  His  fear  changed  to  indig 
nation,  and  a  desire  to  execute  vengeance  on 
men  who  could  be  guilty  of  such  barbarity.  It 
seemed  as  though  the  strength  of  a  dozen  men 
was  suddenly  infused  into  him ;  so,  shouldering 
his  rifle,  he  ran  along  the  path  with  a  speed  that 
made  it  difficult  for  the  Dutchman  to  keep  pace 
with  him.  But,  fast  as  they  went,  the  fearful 


174  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

sound  grew  louder  and  louder;  and,  finally,  they 
distinctly  heard  the  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs,  and 
voices  cheering  on  the  dogs. 

"Hurry  on,  for  mercy's  sake,"  said  the  major. 

''Mine  Gott  in  Himmel!"  ejaculated  the  cap 
tain,  who  was  puffing  and  blowing  like  a  porpoise; 
"  I  can't  run  no  faster.  I  guess  it 's  petter  we 
stops  and  fights  'em,  ain't  it?  I  been  not  a  good 
feller  to  run ! " 

"You  must  run  a  little  further,"  said  Frank. 
"  We  will  certainly  be  captured,  if  wre  stop  to  fight 
them  here." 

The  captain  made  no  reply,  but  kept  along  as 
close  behind  the  major  as  possible.  Frank's  swift 
ness  of  foot  was  standing  him  well  in  hand  now, 
for  he  frequently  found  himself  obliged  to  slacken 
his  pace,  in  order  to  alloy/  his  friends  to  come  up 
with  him.  But  his  usual  confidence  was  gone. 
He  knew  he  could  not  stand  that  rapid  pace  much 
longer.  Soon  they  must  stop  and  fight;  and  what 
if  the  dogs,  which  would,  undoubtedly,  be  some 
distance  in  advance  of  the  horsemen,  should  over 
power  them?  Frank  had  often  read  of. the  feroc 
ity  of  these  blood-hounds,  and  the  thought  of  being 
pulled  down  and  torn  to  pieces  by  them  in  those 


JHASED    BY    BLOOD-HOUNDS.  175 

dark  woods,  and  the  knowledge  that  his  mother 
and  sister  would  forever  remain  ignorant  of  his 
fate,  was  terrible.  Suddenly,  an  abrupt  bend  in 
the  path  brough  them  to  the  banks  of  another 
of  those  narrow  streams  with  which  the  country 
was  intersected  like  a  net-work.  What  a  cheering 
sight  it  was  to  Frank's  eyes !  He  now  saw  some 
chance  for  escape;  and,  without  hesitating  a  mo 
ment,  he  plunged  into  the  water.  The  others 
were  close  at  his  heels,  and  a  few  bold  strokes 
brought  them  to  the  opposite  shore. 

"Here  we  are,"  said  the  major.  "Our  chance 
for  escape  is  rather  slim,  but  we  will  make  a  stand 
here." 

They  had  scarcely  concealed  themselves  in  the 
bushes,  when  one  of  the  hounds  appeared  on  the 
bank.  He  was  followed  by  another,  and  still  an 
other,  until  eight  of  the  terrible  animals  were  in 
sight.  They  followed  the  trail  of  the  fugitives 
down  to  the  edge  of  the  water,  where,  finding 
themselves  at  fault,  they  separated,  and  commenced 
beating  up  and  down  the  bank,  now  and  then  look 
ing  toward  the  Opposite  shore,  and  uttering  their 
bays,  which  sounded  in  Frank's  ears  like  the  knell 
of  death. 


176  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

"I  pelieve  I  shoots  one  of  them  dorgs,  ain't  it?" 
said  the  captain;  and  he  thrust  his  rifle  cautiously 
through  the  bushes. 

"No,  no,"  commanded  the  major,  "save  your 
ammunition.  The  men  will  be  here  in  a  minute. 
Here  they  come  now."  And,  as  he  spoke,  there 
was  a  loud  crashing  in  the  bushes,  and  four  horse 
men  came  in  sight. 

"Thunder!"  exclaimed  one  of  them,  who  wore 
the  uniform  of  a  colonel,  "I  was  in  hopes  we 
should  catch  the  rascal  before  he  reached  this 
place.  Here,  Tige,"  he  continued,  addressing  a 
powerful  white  hound,  "hunt  'em  up,  hunt  'em 
up!" 

The  hound  ran  down  to  the  edge  of  the  stream, 
and  barked  and  whined  furiously,  but  still  hesitated 
to  enter;  for  hounds  are  always  averse  to  going 
into  water. 

"Hunt  'em  up,  sir!"  shouted  the  colonel,  an 
grily. 

The  dog,  evidently,  feared  his  master  more  than 
the  water,  for  he  plunged  in,  and  commenced 
swimming  toward  the  place  where  Frank  and  his 
companions  were  concealed ;  and  the  others,  after 
a  little  hesitation,  followed  him. 


DEATH   OF   THE   WHITE   HOUND. 


CHASED   BY   BLOOD-HOUNDS.  177 

"Ready,  now,  boys,"  whispered  the  major. 
"  Captain,  you  shoot  that  white  hound.  Frank, 
you  take  the  colonel,  and  I'll  attend  to  the  man 
just  behind  him.  Don't  waste  your  lead  now." 

The  three  rifles  cracked  in  rapid  succession,  and 
the  colonel  and  one  of  his  men  fell  heavily  from 
their  saddles.  The  white  hound  gave  one  short 
howl  of  pain,  and  sank  out  of  sight.  Every  shot 
had  reached  its  mark. 

The  remaining  rebels  stood  aghast  at  this  sudden 
repulse;  and  the  smoke  of  the  rifles  had  scarcely 
cleared  away,  when  they  wheeled  their  horses,  and 
disappeared  in  the  woods. 

The  death  of  the  white  hound  produced  no  less 
consternation  among  his  canine  assistants,  for  they 
each  gave  a  short  yelp,  and  turned  and  made  for 
the  snore. 

12 


178 


FRANK    ON   A   GUN -BOAT. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


uescrce. 


'S  our  time,  boys,"  exclaimed  the 
major;    "come    on,  and   load  your 
guns  as  you  run ;"  and  he  started  rap 
idly  down  the  path. 

All  sounds  of  the  rebels  were  soon 
left  behind ;  but  our  party  kept  on 
their  way,  until  they  emerged  from 
the  woods,  and  found  themselves  in  full  view  of  a 
plantation. 

"  I  pelieve  somebody  lives  in  that  house,"  ex 
claimed  the  captain,  drawing  back  in  the  bushes. 
"No  doubt  of  it,"  answered  the  major. 
"  Let's  move  back  into  the  woods  a  little  further, 
and  eat  some  dinner,"  said  Frank ;  and  he  turned 
to  walk  away,  and  felt  for  the  haversack  the  negro 
woman  had  given  him.     But  it  seemed  that  he  was 


THE    RESCUE.  179 

destined  to  disappointment,  for  the  haversack  was 
gone. 

During  all  the  perils  he  had  encountered  that 
day,  he  had  been  buoyed  up  by  the  thought  that 
he  had  food  sufficient  to  last  him  for  a  day  or  two, 
and  that  he  was  in  no  danger  of  suffering  the  pangs 
of  hunger.  But  now  his  spirits  fell  again  to  zero. 

"  How  unfortunate ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  But  it  ?s 
just  my  luck." 

"  Yes,  it  is  too  bad,"  said  the  major ;  "  for  now 
we  shall  be  obliged  to  run  the  risk  of  being  cap 
tured,  in  order  to  procure  food.  But  let  us  move 
on,  and  get  as  far  away  from  this  place  as  possible." 

Frank  silently  shouldered  his  rifle,  and  followed 
the  major,  who  threaded  his  way  along  in  the  edge 
of  the  woods,  taking  care  to  keep  out  of  sight  of 
any  one  who  might  be  in  the  house.  They  kept 
on  until  dark,  and  then  halted  in  the  rear  of  an 
other  plantation,  to  hold  a  consultation  relative  to 
the  manner  in  which  they  should  obtain  food. 

"  Well,"  said  the  major,  "  we  must  have  some 
thing  to  eat,  that 's  certain  ;  and  the  only  way  I 
can  think  of,  is  to  draw  lots  to  see  who  shall  go  up 
to  the  house  after  it.  It  is  a  dangerous  undertak 
ing,  but  that  is  the  fairest  way  to  see  who  shall  rur. 


180  FRANK   ON  A    SUN-BOAT. 

• 
the  risk ;"  and  the  major  selected  three  sticks  of 

different  lengths,  and  continued,  as  he  held  them 
out  to  Frank,  in  his  closed  hand,  "Now.  the  one 
that  draws  the  shortest  stick  must  go  to  the  house 
and  procure  us  some  food." 

Frank  drew  first,  then  the  captain,  and  the  major 
took  the  one  that  was  left.  The  lot  fell  upon 
Frank. 

"Now,"  said  the  major,  as  he  shook  Frank's 
hand,  "  be  careful  of  yourself,  my  friend.  We  will 
remain  here  until  you  return.  When  you  get  into 
the  woods  give  two  low  whistles,  that  we  may  know 
that  it  is  you.  Good-by." 

Frank  silently  returned  the  pressure  of  the  ma 
jor's  hand,  and  moved  away.  He  climbed  over  the 
fence  that  ran  between  the  woods  and  the  plant 
ation,  and  walked  fearlessly  toward  the  house. 
He  was  not  at  all  pleased  with  the  part  he  had  to 
perform,  for  he  remembered  the  danger  he  had  run 
the  night  before;  but  his  determination  was  to  do 
his  duty,  and  trust  to  his  skill  to  carry  him  safely 
tnrough. 

He  shaped  his  course  toward  the  negro  quarters, 
which  were  in  the  rear  of  the  house ;  but  he  soon 
discovered  tha-t  these  were  entirely  deserted.  He 


THE   RESCUE.  181 

carefully  examined  all  the  cabins,  in  hopes  of  find 
ing  a  hen-roost,  but  in  vain.  His  only  alterna 
tive  was  to  try  the  house.  There  was  a  light 
shining  in  the  window,  and  Frank  determined  to 
reconnoiter  the  premises,  and,  if  possible,  learn  who 
were  in  the  house,  before  asking  admittance.  With 
this  intention  he  shouldered  his  rifle,  and  was  about 
to  move  forward,  when  he  was  startled  by  the 
sound  of  horses'  hoofs  behind  him,  and  a  voice  ex 
claimed  : 

'•  Hullo,  my  friend  !  Have  you  an  extra  bed  in 
the  house,  for  a  soldier?" 

Frank  turned,  and  found  that  the  horseman  was 
so  close  to  him  that  flight  was  impossible.  His  first 
impulse  was  to  shoot  him  where  he  sat ;  but  he  was 
still  ignorant  of  the  number  of  persons  there  might 
be  in  the  house.  Perhaps  it  was  filled  with  sol 
diers.  The  report  of  his  gun  would  certainly  alarm 
them,  and  might  lead  to  his  capture.  Besides,  the 
man  had  addressed  him  as  though  he  were  the 
proprietor  of  the  plantation ;  perhaps  he  might  be 
able  to  obtain  some  information.  So  he  answered, 
with  some  hesitation : 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  there  is  an  extra  bed  in  the 
house;  but  I  should  really  like  to  know  who  and 


182  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

what  you  are,  before  I  agree  to  accommodate 
you." 

"  I  am  Lieutenant  Somers,"  answered  the  rebel ; 
"and  I  belong  to  the  Seventeenth  Georgia  In 
fantry.  You  belong  to  the  army  too,  do  you  not?" 
he  continued,  noticing  the  brass  buttons  on  Frank's 
coat. 

It  was  a  lucky  circumstance  for  the  young  hero 
that  the  night  was  so  dark,  or  he  would  certainly 
have  been  discovered. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  in  reply  to  the  rebel's  ques 
tion,  "I  am  in  the  service.  But  what  are  you  do 
ing  around  here  this  time  of  night  ? " 

"  I  have  been  hunting  after  an  escaped  Yankee 
prisoner — a  gun-boat  officer." 

"Did  you  catch  him?"  inquired  Frank. 

"No;  but  I  caught  two  others.  I  chased  this 
gun-boat  fellow  with  blood-hounds;  but  when  I 
overtook  him,  I  found  that  he  had  been  reinforced 
by  half  a  dozen  others,  and  I  was  obliged  to  re 
treat.  The  scoundrels  killed  Colonel  Acklen  and 
one  of  his  men,  and  the  best  blood-hound  in  Loui 
siana." 

"  Where  are  the  prisoners  you  captured  ? "  in 
quired  Frank,  hardly  able  to  suppress  his  exulta- 


TIIE    RESCUE  183 

tion  at  finding  himself  face  to  face  with  one  of  the 
men  who  had  hunted  him  with  blood-hounds. 

'/Oh,  I  left  them  at  the  back  of  the  plantation; 
one  of  my  men  is  keeping  guard  over  them ;  but 
there  is  scarcely  any  need  of  that,  for  the  Yankees 
are  securely  bound." 

"They  are,  eh!"  exclaimed  Frank,  who  could 
restrain  himself  no  longer.  "Well,  here  is  a 
Yai  kee  who  is  not  bound,  and  never  intends  to 
be ;'  and  he  raised  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  and 
glan  ,td  along  the  clean,  brown  barrel.  "I  am  the 
gun-Soat  fellow  you  were  pursuing  with  blood 
hounds.  So,  if  you  wish  to  live  five  minutes 
longer,  do  n't  attempt  to  make  any  resistance." 

The  rebel  was  taken  so  completely  by  surprise 
that  he  could  not  utter  a  word,  but  sat  on  his  horse 
as  motionless  and  dumb  as  though  he  had  been 
suddenly  turned  into  a  statue. 

"  Come  down  off  that  horse ! "  commanded  his 
captor. 

The  rebel  obeyed,  without  hesitation. 

u  Now,  have  you  got  any  dangerous  weapons 
about  you  ? "  inquired  Frank.  "  Tell  the  truth, 
now,  for  your  life  is  n't  worth  a  picayune." 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  rebel,  "  I  have  a  revolver 


184  FRANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

and  a  Bowie-knife ;"  and  he  raised  his  hand  to  his 
breast  pocket. 

"  Hands  down !  hands  down  ! "  exclaimed  Frank ; 
"I  want  to  examine  your  pockets  myself;"  and 
he  stepped  forward  and  relieved  the  rebel  of  a 
Bowie-knife,  a  revolver,  several  cartridges,  a  flint 
and  steel,  and  some  papers.  These,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  the  revolver,  he  laid  carefully  on  the 
ground,  and  placed  his  rifle  beside  them.  "Now," 
continued  Frank,  "  it  would  be  a  great  accommo 
dation  if  you  would  trade  uniforms  with  me.  The 
people  in  this  part  of  the  country  do  n't  seem  to 
like  Uncle  Sam's  clothes  very  well.  Come  out  of 
that  coat." 

The  rebel  hesitated  to  obey. 

"Come  out  of  that  coat,  Lieutenant  Sorners," 
repeated  Frank,  slowly ;  and  he  raised  his  revolver 
until  it  was  on  a  line  with  his  captive's  head. 

The  sight  of  his  own  weapon,  whose  qualities 
he  probably  knew  full  well,  brought  the  rebel  to 
his  senses,  and  he  quickly  divested  himself  of  his 
coat. 

"Now,  pull  off  those  pants,"  commanded  his 
captor. 

The  rebel  obeyed;  and  Frank  continued,  as  he 


.     THE   RESCUE.  185 

divested  himself  of  his  own  clothes  :  "  Now,  if  you 
wish,  you  can  put  on  these." 

The  rebel  had  no  other  alternative,  and  he  slowly 
donned  the  naval  uniform,  while  Frank  quickly 
converted  himself  into  a  fine-looking  rebel  lieu 
tenant.  He  then  carefully  pocketed  the  articles 
which  he  had  taken  from  the  rebel,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  the  papers. 

"What  are  these?"   he  inquired. 

"  The  one  in  the  brown  envelope  is  my  appoint 
ment,  and  the  others  are  orders  to  take  my  com 
pany  and  act  as  scouts." 

The  latter  were  just  what  Frank  wanted. 

"Now,"  said  Frank,  going  up  to  the  horse, 
which  had  stood  patiently  by,  "I  have  one  more 
favor  to  ask  of  you,  you  mean,  sneaking  rebel,  and 
then  I  am  done  with  you.  I  want  you  to  show 
me  where  you  left  your  prisoners.  But,  in  the  first 
place,  I  am  going  into  that  house  to  get  something 
to  eat." 

"  I  hope  to  thunder  that  you  will  be  gobbled 
up,"  said  the  lieutenant,  angrily. 

"  Easy,  easy ! "  exclaimed  Frank  ;  "  you  are 
talking  treason  when  you  wish  evil  to  befall  one 
of  Uncle  Sam's  boys ;  and  I  am  not  one  to  stand 


186  FRANK    ON    A   GUN-B£AT. 

by  and  listen  to  it ;  so  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  your 
head,  or  I  shall  be  obliged  to  put  a  stopper  on 
your  jaw.  As  I  said  before,"  he  continued,  "  I 
am  going  into  that  house  to  get  some  supper;  and. 
as  I  wish  you  to  remain  here  until  I  come  back,  I 
shall  take  the  liberty  to  tie  your  hands  and  feet. 
That 's  the  way  you  serve  your  prisoners,  I  be 
lieve." 

As  Frank  spoke,  he  cut  the  bridle  from  the 
horse  with  his  Bowie-knife,  and  securely  bound  the 
rebel — who  submitted  to  the  operation  with  a  very 
oad  grace — and  laid  him  away,  as  he  would  a  log 
of  wood,  behind  one  of  the  cabins 

"Now,  you  barbarian,"  he  continued,  as  he 
shouldered  his  rifle,  and  thrust  the  revolver  and 
Bowie-knife  into  his  belt,  "  you  are  in  the  power 
of  one  who  has  very  little  love  for  a  man  who  is 
guilty  of  the  cruelty  of  hunting  a  fellow-being  with 
blood-hounds;  so,  if  you  expect  to  live  to  see  day 
light,  do  n't  make  any  noise."  With  this  piece  of 
advice,  Frank  left  his  captive,  and  started  for  the 
house. 

He  walked  up  the  steps  that  led  to  the  portico, 
which  ran  entirely  around  the  house,  and  boldly 
knocked  at  the  door.  The  summons  was  answered 


THE    RESCUE.  187 

by  a  fine-looking,  elderly  lady,  who,  as  soon  as  she 
saw  the  Confederate  uniform,  exclaimed : 

"Good  evening,  sir;  walk  in." 

Frank  followed  the  lady  through  the  hall,  into 
a  large  room,  whose  only  inmates  where  three 
young  ladies,  who  rose  and  bowed  as  he  came  in 
He  was  very  much  relieved  to  find  that  there  were 
no  men  in  the  house. 

"  Take  a  chair,  sir,"  said  the  elderly  lady.  "  Is 
there  any  thing  we  can  do  for  you?" 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  answered  Frank.  "  I  am  out  on 
a  scout  with  some  of  my  men,  and  my  provisions 
have  given  out.  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  come 
here  and  see  if  I  could  not  purchase  some  from 
you." 

"  We  are  glad  to  see  you,"  said  one  of  the 
ydung  ladies.  "  I  will  have  some  food  put  up  for 
you  immediately;  and  you  shall  have  a  nice,  warm 
supper  before  you  go." 

"  I  am  under  obligations  to  you,  tnadam,"  an 
swered  Frank ;  "  but,  really,  I  can  not  wait,  for  I 
am  on  the  trail  of  some  escaped  Yankee  prisoners ; 
and,  besides,  I  always  make  it  a  point  never  to  fare 
better  than  the  men  I  command." 

"  I  should  like  to  have  you  stay."  said  the  elderly 


188  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

lady,  whom  Fra.dk  set  down  as  the  mother  of  the 
girls ;  "  but  you  know  your  duty  better  than  we 
do.  I  wish  all  of  our  officers  were  as  careful  of 
their  men,  and  as  devoted  to  the  cause,  as  you  are. 
But  what  regiment  do  you  belong  to  ? " 

"  The  Seventeenth  Georgia,"  answered  Frank. 

"Did  you  catch  any  of  the  Yankees  you  are 
after?" 

"  No,  ma'am,  not  yet.  But  we  shall  have  them 
before  to-morrow  night." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  so !  I  suppose  you  will  hang  them 
to  the  nearest  tree,  as  fast  as  you  catch  them  ? " 

"  No,  ma'am,  I  can't  do  that.  They  will  be 
prisoners,  you  know,  and  must  be  treated  as  such." 

"  Then  bring  them  here,  and  I  will  hang  them 
for  you,"  exclaimed  the  lady,  excitedly.  "I  think 
our  government  is  entirely  too  lenient  with  the 
rascals." 

During  the  conversation  that  followed,  Frank 
gained  some  very  valuable  information  concerning 
the  plans  the  rebels  had  on  foot  for  the  capture 
of  the  runaways.  He  also  learned  that  the  lady's 
husband  was  an  officer  of  high  rank  in  the  rebel 
army,  and  that  she  was  expecting  him  home  every 
moment.  Frank,  as  may  be  supposed,  was  not 


THE    RESCUE.  189 

very  well  pleased  with  this  information,  and  he 
cast  uneasy  glances  toward  the  door,  expecting  to 
see  the  officer  enter.  But  his  fears  were  soon  set 
at  rest  by  the  return  of  the  young  lady  from  the 
kitchen,  with  a  large  traveling  bag,  filled  with  pro 
visions. 

When  Frank  inquired  what  was  to  pay,  he  was 
informed  that  any  one  who  would  think  of  charging 
a  soldier  for  provisions  ought  to  be  tarred  and 
feathered  and  sent  into  the  Yankee  lines.  This 
was  good  news  to  Frank,  for,  if  there  had  been  any 
thing  to  pay,  he  would  not  have  known  how  to  act, 
as  mot.ey  was  a  thing  he  had  not  seen  for  many 
a  day.  So,  after  thanking  the  ladies  for  their 
kindness,  and  bidding  them  good-night,  he  picked 
up  his  provisions  and  started  out. 

"  Now,  you  man  that  hunts  Union  soldiers  with 
blood-hounds,"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  walked  up  to 
his  captive,  and  untied  the  strap  with  which  his 
feet  were  bound,  "  get  up,  and  lead  me  to  the  place 
where  you  left  your  prisoners ;"  and  Frank  seized 
the  rebel  by  the  collar,  and  helped  him  rather 
roughly  to  his  feet. 

The  rebel  made  no  reply,  but  led  the  way  down 
the  road  which  ran  through  the  plantation.  Frank 


190  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

followed  close  behind  him,  carrying  his  rifle  and 
provisions  in  one  hand,  and  his  revolver  in  "the 
other.  At  length  they  came  to  the  fence  at  the 
end  of  the  field,  and,  as  he  was  helping  his  pris 
oner  over,  a  voice  from  the  woods  called  out : 

"  Who  goes  there  ?  " 

"  Is  that  your  man?"  inquired  Frank,  in  a 
whisper,  turning  to  his  prisoner. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  rebel,  gruffly. 

"  Then  keep  your  mouth  shut,  and  let  me  talk  to 
him,"  commanded  Frank.  Raising  his  voice,  ne 
answered  to  the  hail,  "  Friend  ! " 

"  Is  that  you,  Lieutenant  Somers  ? "  inquired 
the  voice. 

"Yes,"  answered  Frank.  "Come  here;  I've 
got  a  supply  of  provisions,  and  another  prisoner." 

"  Another  Yank,  eh ! "  said  the  man ;  and  Frank 
heard  him  coming  through  the  woods  toward  him. 

"  Well,  we  've  one  less  to  catch,  then.  Where  is 
he?  Let's  have  a  squint  at  him." 

"Never  mind  the  prisoner,"  exclaimed  Frank, 
"but  come  and  take  these  provisions;  they're 
heavy." 

The  rebel,  who  could  not  discover  that  any  thing 
was  wrong,  reached  out  his  hand,  and  took  the 


THE    RESCUE.  191 

traveling-bag  from  Frank,  when  the  latter  sud 
denly  seized  him  by  the  collar,  and  exclaimed,  as 
he  pressed  the  muzzle  of  his  revolver  against  his 
head : 

"  You  're  my  prisoner  !" 

For  an  instant  the  rebel  appeared  utterly  dum- 
founded;  then,  suddenly  recovering  himself,  he 
struck  up  Frank's  arm,  and,  with  a  quick  move 
ment,  tore  himself  away  from  his  grasp,  and  drew 
his  Bowie-knife. 

"Kill  him,  Jake!  kill  him!"  shouted  the  lieu 
tenant,  who,  of  course,  was  unable  to  assist  his 
man,  as  his  hands  were  securely  bound  behind  his 
back. 

But  Frank  was  too  quick  for  him,  for,  before 
the  rebel  could  make  a  thrust  with  his  knife,  the 
sharp  report  of  the  revolver  echoed  through  the 
woods,  and  the  man  sank  to  the  ground  like  a 
log. 

"Now,"  exclaimed  Frank,  turning  to  his  pris 
oner,  "  I  've  a  good  notion  to  shoot  you,  also. 
But  I  will  try  you  once  more ;  and  I  tell  you  now, 
once  for  all,  do  n't  open  your  head  again  to-night, 
unless  you  are  spoken  to.  Now,  show  me  where 
you  left  your  prisoners." 


192  FRANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

"  Here  we  are ! "  exclaimed  a  voice  from  the 
bushes. 

Frank  soon  found  them,  and,  when  he  had  cut 
the  ropes  with  which  they  were  bound,  and  set 
them  at  liberty,  they  each  seized  his  hands,  and 
wrung  them  in  silent  gratitude. 

"Thank  heaven,  we're  free  men  once  more!" 
exclaimed  one  of  the  poor  fellows.  "  But  where 
is  that  lieutenant  that  captured  us?" 

"He's  my  prisoner,"  answered  Frank. 

"  Here  you  are,  you  thunderin',  low-lived  se- 
cesh ! "  exclaimed  the  man,  who  had  not  yet  spoken, 
as  he  walked  up  to  the  rebel,  and  laid  his  hand 
on  his  sLoulder.  "  I  've  a  mind  to  stop  your  wind 
for  you,  you  mean" — 

"Eas^,  easy,  boys,"  exclaimed  Frank;  "he's  a 
prisoner,  you  know,  and  we  Ve  no  right  to  put 
him  in  misery  simply  because  he  s  in  our  power." 

"Why,  the  varmint  hunted  us  yesterday  with 
blood-hounds,"  exclaimed  one  of  the  soldiers. 

"  He  served  me  the  same  way  to-day,"  answered 
Frank;  "but,  still,  we  have  no  right  to  abuse  him. 
But  I  have  two  more  friends  around  here  some 
where;"  and  Frank  put  his  hand  to  his  mouth,  and 
gave  two  low  whistles.  It  was  answered  imme- 


THE    RESCUE.  193 

diately,  and  a  voice,  which  Frank  recognized  as  the 
captain's,  inquired : 

" Isli  dat  you,  you  gun-boat  feller?" 
"  Yes,  I  'm  here,  captain  ;  come  along." 
The  Dutchman  soon  made  his  appearance,  fol 
lowed  by  the  major.  They  had  remained  in  their 
hiding-place,  and  heard  all  that  was  going  on ;  but, 
so  fearful  were  they  of  treachery,  that  they  dared 
not  come  out.  Frank  briefly  related  to  them  the 
circumstances  connected  with  the  capture  of  the 
lieutenant,  and  the  release  of  the  two  soldiers ;  after 
this  a  consultation  was  held,  and  it  was  decided 
that  it  would  not  be  prudent  to  attempt  to  reach 
Red  River  for  a  .day  or  two,  at  least.  The  major 
thought  it  best  to  remain  concealed  during  the  day, 
and  at  night  boldly  follow  the  road. 

This  plan  was  adopted,  for  the  entire  party — 
including  the  soldiers  Frank  had  just  released — 
were  dressed  in  butternut  clothes ;  besides  this, 
the  papers  which  had  been  taken  from  the  lieu 
tenant  would  greatly  assist  them,  if  their  plan  was 
carried  out  with  skill  and  determination.  And,  in 
regard  to  the  prisoner — who,  of  course,  had  not 
heard  a  word  of  the  consultation — it  was  decided 
to  detain  him  for  a  day  or  two,  in  order  that  he 
13 


194  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

might  be  led  to  believe  that  it  was  their  intention 
to  keep  as  far  away  from  Red  River  as  possible, 
and  then  release  him. 

After  their  plans  had  all  been  determined  upon, 
Frank  opened  his  sack  of  provisions,  when,  eat 
ing  a  scanty  meal,  they  again  started  forward. 
They  kept  along  on  the  edge  of  the  plantations 
until  the  day  began  to  dawn,  and  then  turned  into 
the  woods  and  encamped. 


A    FRIEND    IN    NEED.  195 


CHAPTER  XVI 

in  i^ 

the  evening,  at  dark,  they  re 
sumed  their  journey.  They  boldly  fol 
lowed  the  road,  and  met  with  no  oppo 
sition  until  just  before  daylight,  when  a 
voice  directly  in  front  of  them  shouted, 
"Halt!" 

"Now,  boys,"  whispered  the  major, 
"our  safety  depends  upon  our  nerve.  It  is  so 
dark  they  can't  see  our  faces,  so  don't  be  fright 
ened  at  any  thing  that  may  happen.  Captain, 
take  care  of  that  prisoner,  and  remember  and 
blow  his  brains  out  the  moment  he  makes  the  least 
attempt  at  escape." 

"  Who  goes  there  ?  "  shouted  the  voice  again. 
"Scouts!"  answered  the  major,  promptly. 
"  Advance,   one    scout,  and  give   the   counter 
sign." 


196  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

The  Major  accordingly  advanced  to  the  place 
where  the  sentry  was  standing,  and  the  captain 
cautiously  cocking  his  musket,  placed  its  cold 
muzzle  against  the  prisoner's  head,  whispering, 
between  his  clenched  teeth : 

"I  guess  you  hear  what  the  major  did  said, 
ain't  it  ?  Well,  then,  do  n't  say  somethings." 

The  laconic  captain  probably  thought  this 
warning  sufficient,  for  he  brought  his  musket  to 
an  "order  arms,"  and  did  not  afterward  even 
deign  to  cast  a  single  glance  at  the  prisoner. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  major  was  endeavoring 
to  convince  the  lieutenant  of  the  guard  that,  al 
though  they  did  not  have  the  countersign,  they 
were  in  reality  Confederate  soldiers. 

"  It  may  be  that  you'uns  is  all  right,"  said  the 
lieutenant,  after  reading,  by  the  aid  of  a  dark 
lantern,  the  papers  which  Frank  had  captured. 
"  But,  you  see,  thar  's  so  many  of  these  yere 
Yanks  running  away,  that  we'uns  has  got  to  be 
mighty  careful  how  we  let  folks  go  past." 

"I  tell  you,"  said  the  major,  speaking  as  though 
he  considered  himself  highly  insulted,  UI  tell  you, 
that  I  am  on  special  service  by  order  of  General 
Taylor.  I  have  been  out  on  a  scout  to  recapture 


A    FRIEND    IN    NEED.  197 

the  very  prisoners  you  have  just  mentioned.  I 
have  already  caught  one  of  them,"  he  added, 
pointing  to  their  prisoner,  who,  let  it  be  remem 
bered,  was  dressed  in  Frank's  uniform. 

"  If  you'uns  is  out  on  a  scout,"  said  a  soldier, 
who  had  been  aroused  from  his  blanket,  and 
pressed  up  to  obtain  a  glance  at  the  major, 
"  wliar  's  your  bosses?" 

"  I  left  them  about  a  mile  down  the  river.  I 
have  already  been  through  your  lines  once  to 
night,  and  I  might  have  gone  through  this  time 
without  your  knowledge,  if  I  had  seen  fit  to  do 
so." 

"  Maybe  it  's  all  right,"  said  the  lieutenant, 
shaking  his  head  dubiously ;  "  but  I  '11  be  dog 
gone  if  I  do  n't  think  I  've  seen  your  face  some 
where  before ; "  and  as  he  said  this  he  raised  the 
lantern,  and  allowed  the  light  to  shine  full  upon 
him.  Frank,  who  had  been  waiting  impatiently 
for  the  interview  to  be  brought  to  a  close,  gave 
himself  up  for  lost  when  he  saw  a  smile  of  tri 
umph  light  up  the  rebel's  face.  But  the  major 
was  equal  to  the  emergency.  Meeting  the  lieu 
tenant's  gaze  without  flinching,  he  replied,  care 
lessly  : 


1H8  FRANK    OX    A    GUN-BOAT 

"Very  likely  you  have.  I  have  been  in  the 
service  ever  since  the  war  broke  out.  But  do  you 
intend  to  allow  us  to  proceed,  or  shall  I  be  obliged 
to  report  you  at  head-quarters  ?  Remember,  I 
can  say  that  you  do  not  keep  a  very  good  watch, 
seeing  I  have  already  passed  you  once." 

This  threat  seemed  to  decide  the  lieutenant, 
who  replied,  "  I  guess  it 's  all  right — you'uns  can 
pass." 

When  Frank  heard  this,  it  seemed  as  though  a 
heavy  load  had  been  removed  from  his  breast. 
But  the  hardest  part  of  the  trial,  with  him,  had 
yet  to  come.  What  if  he  should  be  recognized? 
But  he  had  that  risk  to  run ;  so,  summoning  up 
all  his  fortitude,  he  marched  with  his  companions 
by  the  guards,  apparently  as  unconcerned  as 
though  he  was  entering  a  friendly  camp. 

The  moment  they  got  out  of  hearing  of  the 
tread  of  the  sentinel,  the  major  turned  from  the 
road  and  led  the  way  into  the  woods.  After 
walking  a  short  distance,  at  a  rapid  pace,  he 
whispered : 

"  Perhaps  we  fooled  the  rascals,  but  I  think 
not.  I  did  n't  like  the  way  that  lieutenant  eyed 
,ne  I  am  certain  we  shall  be  pursued  as  soon  aa 


A    FRIEND    IX    NEED.  199 

he  can  send  for  assistance ;  and  the  best  thing 
we  can  do  is  to  get  away  from  here.  So,  for 
ward,  double-quick.  Do  n't  make  too  much  noise 
now.  Captain,  look  out  for  that  prisoner." 

It  was  well  that  the  major  had  adopted  the 
precaution  of  leaving  the  road  and  taking  to  the 
woods,  for,  in  less  than  half  an  hour  after  they 
had  passed  the  guards,  a  squad  of  cavalry  came 
up,  having  a  full  and  correct  description  of  Frank 
and  his  companions.  By  some  means,  the  capture 
of  the  rebel  lieutenant  had  become  known,  and 
a  portion  of  his  own  regiment — which  had  fol 
lowed  Frank  from  Shreveport,  but  which  had  given 
up  the  chase  and  returned — had  again  started  in 
pursuit.  The  guards  were  astounded  when  they 
learned  that  the  young  gun-boat  officer  (with 
whose  flight  and  subsequent  almost  miraculous 
escapes  from  recapture  every  scout  in  the  country 
was  acquainted)  had  been  within  their  very  grasp, 
and  a  portion  of  them  joined  the  cavalry  in  pur 
suit  ;  but,  as  they  kept  on  down  the  road,  Frank 
and  his  companions  again  escaped.  They  had 
heard  their  pursuers  pass  by,  and  knowing  that 
the  country  would  be  thoroughly  alarmed,  and 
that  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  reach  Red 


200  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

River  at  present,  they  directed  their  course  to 
ward  Washita  River,  which  lay  about  thirty-five 
miles  distant,  hoping  to  deceive  the  rebels  as  to 
their  real  intentions,  and  thus,  by  drawing  their 
pursuers  into  the  country,  leave  their  avenue  of 
escape  unobstructed. 

One  clear,  moonlight  night  they  halted,  as  usual, 
in  the  rear  of  a  plantation,  and  were  debating 
upon  the  best  means  to  be  employed  in  obtaining 
food,  when  a  man,  dressed  in  a  shabby  Federal 
uniform,  was  discovered  coming  slowly  toward 
them,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  fence  that  sep 
arated  the  woods  from  the  plantation. 

His  sudden  and  wholly  unexpected  appearance 
took  them  completely  by  surprise.  Frank  imme 
diately  proposed  to  challenge  him.  Perhaps,  like 
themselves,  he  was  a  fugitive  from  a  rebel  prison, 
and  in  need  of  assistance.  But  the  captain 
strongly  opposed  this,  and  was  in  favor  of  shoot 
ing  the  man,  who  still  continued  to  advance,  as 
if  wholly  unconscious  of  the  presence  of  any 
one — arguing,  in  his  broken  English,  and  with 
good  reason,  too,  that  the  appearance  of  a  Fed 
eral  uniform  in  that  part  of  the  country  bodevl 
them  no  good,  but  was  a  sure  sign  of  treachery  ; 


A    FRIEND    IN    NEED.  201 

arid  evidently  thinking  that  he  had  won  the  day, 
he  was  about  to  put  his  plan  into  execution,  when 
the  major  struck  up  his  musket,  and  shouted  : 

"  Who  comes  there  ?  " 

The  stranger,  instead  of'  replying,  instantly 
threw  himself  on  the  ground  behind  the  fence, 
out  of  sight. 

"  Gott  in  himmel,  major,"  exclaimed  the  disap 
pointed  captain,  "I  pelieve  it  's  better  you  shoots 
that  man — purty  quick  we  all  gets  ketched  again ;" 
and  as  he  said  this  the  captain,  who,  although  a 
very  brave  man  on  the  field  of  battle,  was  very 
much  opposed  to  fighting  an  invisible  enemy, 
drew  himself  behind  a  tree,  as  if  fully  .expecting 
to  see  a  whole  army  of  rebels  rush  out  of  their 
concealments  upon  them. 

"Be  quiet,  captain,"  said  the  major.  "  You 
have  grown  very  suspicious  lately,"  Then,  rais 
ing  his  voice,  he  called  out :  a  Whoever  you  are 
behind  that  fence,  whether  a  friend  or  an  enemy 
to  the  Union,  come  out  immediately,  or  you  are 
a  dead  man." 

A  deep  silence,  which  lasted  for  several  sec 
onds,  followed  his  words.  Then  came  the  om 
inous  click  of  half  a  dozen  gun-locks,  which,  in 


202  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

the  stillness  of  the  night,  could  be  heard  a  long 
distance. 

The  stranger  evidently  heard  it  too,  for,  with 
out  further  hesitation,  he  arose  from  behind  the 
fence,  and  came  forward. 

The  major  allowed  him  to  approach  within  a 
few  yards,  and  then  ordered  him  to  halt,  and  in 
quired  : 

"  Now,  sir !  who  and  what  are  you  ?  Tell  the 
truth,  for  you  have  desperate  men  to  deal  with." 

"  From  your  language,"  ans^  ered  the  stranger, 
in  a  voice  so  soft  that  it  was  almost  feminine,  but 
which,  nevertheless,  betrayed  not  the  slightest 
trepidation,  "I  should  judge  that  you  are  escaped 
prisoners ;  if  so,  permit  me  to  make  one  of  your 
number.  If  not,  you  will  find  me  as  desperate 
as  yourselves;  for  I  have  suffered  too  much  in 
prison  to  ever  allow  myself  to  be  taken  back 
alive ; "  and,  as  he  spoke,  he  displayed  a  brace  of 
pistols,  wThich  showed  that  he  meant  what  he  said. 

"  Gott  in  himmel!"  exclaimed  the  captain, 
springing  out  from  behind  his  tree,  and  forget 
ting,  in  a  moment,  all  his  suspicions,  "  vos  you 
captured,  too  ?  We  been  mighty  glad  to  see  you, 
any  how." 


A    FRIEXD    IN    NEED.  .  203 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  man,  "  I  have  been  a 
prisoner  for  twenty-two  months,  and  it  was  not 
until  three  weeks  since  that  I  succeeded  in  mak 
ing  my  escape." 

"  We  '11  take  your  story  for  what  it  is  worth,  at 
piesent,"  said  the  major,  "for  we  can  not  stop  to 
talk.  We  must  first  make  some  arrangements 
about  obtaining  something  to  eat,  and  then  we 
must  be  off." 

"  My  haversack  has  just  been  replenished," 
said  the  stranger,  "  and  we  have  sufficient  to  last 
us  for  a  day  or  two,  at  least." 

"  Well,  let  us  be  moving,  then." 

The  major,  as  usual,  led  the  way,  and  Frank 
walked  beside  the  stranger,  who  firmly,  but  re 
spectfully,  repelled  every  attempt  he  made  to  en 
ter  into  conversation,  a  circumstance  which  Frank 
regarded  with  suspicion. 

At  length  day  began  to  dawn,  and  the  fugitives 
commenced  to  cast  sidelong  glances  at  their  new 
companion.  He  was  a  tall,  slimly-built  youth, 
apparently  but  little  older  than  Frank,  and  his 
b:yish  face  wore  a  look  of  care  and  sorrow,  which 
if  once  seen  could  never  be  forgotten,  and  which 
showed  that,  young  as  he  was,  his  path  through 


204  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

life  had  been  any  thing  but  a  smooth  one.  His 
clothing  \\as  reduced  almost  to  tatters;  but  still 
there  was  enough  of  it  left  to  show  that  it  was 
"  Uncle  Sam's  blue ;"  and,  as  Frank  surveyed  him 
from  head  to  foot,  he  discovered  something  hang 
ing  to  one  of  the -shreds  of  his  coat,  which  im 
mediately  interested  him  in  the  silent  stranger. 
It  was  a  navy  button.  This  was  enough  for 
Frank,  who,  forgetting  the  manner  in  which  his 
advances  had  been  received,  inquired : 

"Are  you  a  naval  officer,  sir?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  youth,  in  a  low  voice ; 
"or,  rather,  I  was  once." 

"  So  was  I.     Give  us  your  hand." 

The  sad,  gloomy  look  gave  way  to  a  smile  of 
genuine  pleasure,  as  the  stranger  grasped  the 
proffered  hand,  and  shook  it  heartily. 

"  What  vessel  were  you  attached  to,  and  when 
and  how  were  you  captured?"  inquired  Frank. 

But  his  companion  had  relapsed  into  his  former 
state  of  gloominess  arid  silence,  and  seemed  to  be 
pondering  upon  something  at  once  painful  and 
interesting. 

Frank  made  no  further  attempts  to  draw  him 
into  conversation,  and,  just  as  the  sun  was  rising, 


A    FRIEND    IN    NEED.  205 

the  major  gave  the  order  to  halt.  He  also  had 
noticed  the  sorrowful  look  of  the  young  stranger, 
and,  attributing  it  to  a  depression  of  spirits,  which 
any  one  would  feel  at  finding  himself  in  such 
circumstances,  addressed  him,  as  he  came  up, 
with  : 

a  My  friend,  you  appear  to  be  sorely  troubled 
about  something.  Cheer  up ;  it  does  no  good  to 
be  despondent.  I  know  our  case  is  desperate, 
but  it  is  not  altogether  hopeless.  We  do  not  in 
tend  to  be  recaptured,  as  long  as  one  of  us  has 
strength  to  draw  a  trigger." 

"I  am  not  troubled  about  that,  sir,"  answered 
the  youth,  throwing  himself  wearily  on  the  ground. 
';  The  cause  of  my  sorrow  dates  further  back  than 
rny  capture  and  confinement  in  prison.  I  know 
that  I  am  not  the  only  one  who  has  suffered  dur 
ing  this  rebellion ;  but  mine  is  a  peculiar  case. 
I  have  not  known  a  happy  day  since  the  war 
commenced.  Every  tie  that  bound  me  to  earth 
was  severed  when  the  first  gun  was  fired  on  Fort 
Sumter." 

"  Ah!"  exclaimed  Frank,  guessing  the  truth  at 
once.  "  Then  your  relatives  are  rebels." 

"  Yes,  they  are ;  and  the  most  bitter  kind  of 


206  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

rebels,  too.  I  have  kept  my  secret  until  I  can 
no  longer  endure  it.  I  have  become  completely 
discouraged,  and  am  greatly  in  need  of  what  I  at 
first  shunned — sympathy.  If  you  will  bear  with 
me,  I  will  tell  you  my  circumstances.  It  will 
serve  to  relieve  me,  and  may  interest  you,  and 
prove  that  I  am  really  what  I  profess  to  be,  an 
escaped  prisoner." 

"  Certainly,  let  us  hear  it.  Go  on,"  said  the 
major. 

Thus  encouraged,  the  youth  proceeded  : 

"My  name  is  George  Le  Dell;  and  I  am  the 
youngest  son  of  General  Le  Dell,  of  the  Confed 
erate  army.  My  home  is,  or  rather  was,  on  the 
Washita  River,  about  ten  miles  from  this  very 
place.  When  I  was  seventeen  years  of  age,  I 
was  sent  North  to  complete  my  education,  at 
Yale  College,  and  was  just  about  commencing  my 
senior  year,  when  I  received  this  letter  from  my 
father." 

Here  George  paused,  and  drew  from  his  pocket 
a  bundle  of  papers,  carefully  tied  up,  and,  pro 
ducing  a  letter,  from  which  the  writing  was  al 
most  obliterated,  he  handed  it  to  Frank,  who  read 
uloud  as  follows : 


A   FRIEND   IN   NEED.  207 

CATAHOOLA  PARISH,  February  12,  1801. 
MY  DEAR  GEORGE: 

Your  letter  of  the  2d  ult.  was  duly  received. 

Although  your  ideas  of  the  civil  war,  to  which  you  seem 
to  look  forward  with  such  anxiety,  are  rather  crude,  you  are, 
in  the  main,  correct  in  your  conjectures  as  to  our  intentions. 
Secession  is  a  fixed  fact.  You  know  it  has  often  been  dis 
cussed  by  our  leading  men,  and  the  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln 
has  only  served  to  precipitate  our  action.  Had  he  been  de 
feated,  it  might  have  been  put  off  four  years  longer;  but  it 
would  be  certain  to  come  then.  For  years  the  heaven-sanc 
tioned  institution  of  slavery  has  been  subjected  to  all  the 
attacks  that  the  fiendish  imaginations  of  the  Yankee  aboli 
tionists  could  suggest,  and  we  are  determined  to  bear  with 
them  no  longer.  We  intend  to  establish  a  confederacy  of 
our  own,  whose  corner-stone  shall  be  slavery. 

I  wish  you  to  come  home  immediately,  as  I  have  secured  you 
a  first  lieutenant's  commission  in  a  cavalry  company,  which 
is  to  be  mustered  into  my  regiment.  Your  brothers  have  al 
ready  accepted  theirs,  and  are  drilling  their  companies  twice 
every  week.  Of  course,  we  do  not  expect  a  war,  for  we  have 
kept  the  cowardly  Yankees  under  our  thumbs  so  long  that 
they  will  not  dare  to  oppose  us.  However,  we  consider  it 
Oest  to  be  on  the  safe  side. 

Inclosed  I  send  you  a  check  for  two  hundred  dollars,  which, 
I  think,  will  be  sufficient  to  pay  all  your  bills,  and  to  defray 
/our  expenses  home. 

Your  mother  and  sisters  send  their  love. 

Hoping  to  see  you  soon,  and  to  join  hands  with  you  in 
destroying  every  vestige  of  the  old  Union,  I  remain, 

Yours,  affectionately,  EDWARD  LE  DELL. 

While  Frank  was  reading  this  letter,  George 
had  sat  with  his  face  buried  in  his  hands,  not 
once  moving  or  giving  a  sign  of  life ;  but,  as  soon 


208  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

as  the  letter  was  finished,  he  raised  his  pale  face, 
and  inquired,  in  a  husky  voice : 

"What  do  you  think  of  that?  It  does  not 
seem  possible  that  a  father,  who  had  the  least 
spark  of  affection  for  his  son,  could  advise  him 
to  follow  such  a  course,  does  it?  Turn  the  letter 
over,  and  you  will  see  a  copy  of  my  answer  writ 
ten  on  the  back." 

It  ran  as  follows  : 

YALE  COLLEGE,  March  20,  1861. 
MY  DEAR  FATHER : 

You  can  not  imagine  with  what  feelings  of  astonishment 
and  sorrow  I  read  your  letter  of  the  12th  ult.,  which  was 
received  nearly  three  weeks  since.  The  reason  for  my  delay 
in  replying  you  can  easily  divine.  Has  it,  then,  come  to 
this?  Is  it  possible  that,  in  order  to  do  my  duty  to  my  coun 
try,  I  must  be  willing  to  incur  the  displeasure  of  my  father? 
What  would  you  have  me  do?  Assist  in  pulling  down  the 
old  flag,  and  in  breaking  up  the  best  government  the  world 
ever  saw?  Why,  father,  this  is  downright  madness.  I  can 
not  "join  hands"  with  you  in  so  unholy  a  cause.  On  the 
contrary,  as  long  as  that  flag  needs  defenders,  you  will  find 
me  among  them.  You  are  deceiving  yourself  when  you  say 
the  "  cowardly  Yankees  "  will  not  fight.  They  are  a  people 
'slow  to  wrath,"  but  they  are  not  cowards,  father;  and  you 
will  find,  to  your  sorrow,  that  they  will  resist,  to  the  death, 
"any  and  every  attempt  to  alienate  any  portion  of  this  Union 
from  the  rest." 

Living  in  the  South,  as  I  have,  I  have  long  seen  this  war 
brewing,  but  was  unwilling  to  confess  it,  even  to  myself  ; 
and  I  had  hoped,  that  if  it  did  come,  my  father  would  not 


A    FRIEND   IN    NEED.  209 

countenance  it.  Why  will  you  do  it?  You  never,  never  can 
surceel.  The  very  first  attempt  you  make  to  withdraw  from 
your  allegiance  to  the  United  States  will  be  the  signal  for  a 
war.  the  like  of  which  the  world  has  never  witnessed,  and 
the  blood  of  thousands  of  men,  who  will  be  sacrificed  to 
glut  your  ambition,  will  be  upon  your  own  heads. 

Inclosed,  I  respectfully  return  the  check,  with  many 
thanks  for  your  kindness.  I  can  not  use  it  for  the  purpose 
you  wish. 

Hoping  and  praying  that  you  and  my  brothers  will  con 
sider  well  before  you  take  the  step  that  will  bring  you  only 
suffering  and  disgrace,  and  will   use  all  your  influence  lo 
prevent  the  effusion  of  blood  that  must  necessarily  follow  the 
suicidttl  course  you  would  pursue,  I  am,  as  ever, 

Your  affectionate  son,  GEO.  LE  DELL. 

"That  was  the  best  I  could  do  at  the  time," 
said  George,  as  Frank  finished  the  letter.  "I 
believe  I  must  have  been  crazy  when  I  wrote  it. 
If  I  could  only  have  known  as  much  as  I  do  now, 
1  think  I  could  have  made  a  much  better  plea 
than  that." 

"  Didn't  it  have  any  effect  upon  your  father?" 
inquired  the  major. 

"  Effect! "  repeated  George.  "  Yes,  it  had  the 
effect  of  making  him  disinherit  and  cast  me  off, 
Read  that,"  he  continued,  handing  Frank  another 
soiled  paper,  which  looked  as  though  it  had  been 
read  and  thumbed  continually.  "  I  felt  like  one 
with  his  death-warrant  when  I  received  that." 
14 


FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

It  ran  thus : 

CATAHOOLA  PARISH,  March  31,  1861. 
SIR: 

In  reply  to  your  scandalous  and  insulting  letter,  I  hav« 
but  a  few  words  to  say. 

This,  then,  is  the  only  return  you  have  to  make  for  all 
the  favors  I  ha^e  showered  upon  you !  I  had  expected  great 
things  of  you,  George,  for  you  have  the  abilities  that  would 
have  raised  you  to  a  high  position  in  the  South;  and  it  seems 
hard  that  my  fond  hopes  should  be  dashed  to  the  ground,  by 
one  fell  blow,  given,  too,  by  your  own  hand.  But  I  know 
my  duty  ;  and  now,  sir,  I  have  done  with  you.  I  cast  you 
off  forever.  You  will  never  enter  my  house  again ;  and 
not  a  cent  of  my  property  shall  ever  be  possessed  by  you — 
ho,  not  even  if  you  were  starving.  I  have  instructed  my 
family  to  forget  that  such  a  person  as  George  Le  Dell  ever 
existed.  Take  part  with  our  oppressors,  if  you  choose,  but 
be  assured  that  the  justly-merited  consequences  of  your  folly 
will  be  visited  upon  you. 

In  conclusion,  I  have  to  say,  that  if  any  more  letters  are 
received  from  you,  they  shall  be  returned  unopened. 

EDWARD  LE  DELL. 

"  Now  you  can  see  exactly  how  I  am  situated," 
said  George,  taking  the  letter  from  Frank's  hand, 
and  putting  it  with  the  others  carefully  away  in 
his  pocket.  "  Do  you  wonder,  then,  that  I  am 
sorrowful,  cut  off  as  I  am  from  all  my  relatives, 
with  strict  orders  never  to  cross  the  threshold  of 
my  father's  house  again,  not  even  if  I  am  dying 
for  want  of  food?  You  have,  doubtless,  heard 
of  the  malignity  displayed  by  the  rebel  leader* 


A    FRIEND    IN    NEED.  211 

toward  any  Southerner  who  dares  to  differ  with 
them  in  opinion,  and  have  looked  upon  them  as 
idle  stories,  gotten  up  for  effect ;  but  I  know,  by 
the  most  bitter  experience,  that  it  is  a  reality. 
Does  it  seem  possible  that  a  person  can  be  so 
blind,  and  act  with  such  cruelty  toward  a  son  ? 

"  When  the  war  was  fairly  begun,"  he  contin 
ued,  "  I  kept  the  vow  I  had  made — that  as  long 
as  the  old  flag  needed  defenders,  I  should  be 
found  among  them,  by  enlisting  as  fourth  master, 
in  what  was  then  called  the  i  Gun-boat  Flotilla,' 
about  to  commence  operations  on  the  Western 
waters.  I  participated  in  the  battle  of  Island 
No.  10 ;  was  at  the  taking  of  Memphis,  and  at 
St.  Charles ;  when  the  c  Mound  City '  was  blown 
up,  I  barely  escaped  being  scalded  to  death.  1 
wras  on  the  'Essex,'  when  she  ran  the  batteries 
at  Vicksburg,  and  during  the  subsequent  fight, 
which  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  'Arkansas' 
ram.  About  a  month  after  that  I  was  captured 
with  a  party  of  men,  while  on  shore  on  a  foraging 
expedition.  I  fought  as  long  as  I  could,  for  I 
knew  that  death  would  be  preferable  to  the  treat 
ment  I  should  receive ;  but  I  was  overpowered, 
and  finally  surrendered  to  save  the  lives  of  my 


212  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

men.  The  rebels,  of  course,  immediately  com 
menced  crowding  about  us,  and  the  very  first  of 
ficer  I  saw  was  my  brother  Henry,  who  had  risen 
to  the  position  of  adjutant,  in  father's  regiment. 
He  instantly  recognized  me,  and,  after  giving 
strict  orders  that  I  should  be  closely  confined, 
rode  off'.  I  had  many  acquaintances  in  the  regi 
ment.  Some  of  them  had  been  my  classmates  at 
college ;  and  the  story  of  my  treason,  as  they 
called  it,  was  given  a  wide  circulation.  I  fared 
even  worse  than  I  had  expected.  My  food  was 
of  the  vrery  worst  quality,  and  barely  sufficient  to 
sustain  life.  I  was  never  allowed  a  shelter  of  any 
kind,  not  even  a  blanket;  and,  when  my  clothing 
was  worn  out,  I  could  not  obtain  another  suit. 
4  Stici  to  your  dirty  blue/  said  the  officer  under 
whose  charge  I  had  been  placed,  'and  every  time 
you  look  at  it,  think  of  the  meanness  of  which 
you  lia^e  been  guilty.' 

"  At  length,  to  my  relief,  the  order  came  for 
me  to  be  transferred  to  the  prison  at  Tyler. 
When  I  arrived  at  that  place,  I  was  thrust  into 
an  old  slave-pen,  where  I  was  confined  nearly 
twenty  months  before  I  succeeded  in  effecting  my 
escape.  I  was  given  to  understand  that  it  had 


A    FRIEND    IN    NEED.  213 

been  ordered  that  I  was  not  to  be  exchanged,  but 
might  expect  to  die  a  traitor's  death  at  no  distant 
clay.  Whether  or  not  this  was  intended  to  ter 
rify  me,  I  do  not  know ;  but,  since  my  escape,  1 
have  thought  that  there  were  some  goad  grounds 
for  fear  ;  for,  during  my  journey  from  Tyler  to 
Shreveport,  I  was  not  once  out  of  hearing  of  the 
blood-hounds  that  were  following  my  trail.  The 
only  support  I  have  had  is  the  consciousness  that 
I  have  tried  to  do  my  duty.  If  it  were  not  for 
that,  I  should  be  the  most  miserable  person  in  the 
world ;  and  I  should  not  care  how  soon  some  rebel 
bullet  put  an  end  to  my  existence. 

"Although  I  am  now  looked  upon  by  my  rel 
atives  as  a  stranger  and  an  outcast,  I  have  de 
termined  to  visit  once  more  the  place  which,  long 
ago,  I  used  to  call  home.  It  is  only  ten  miles 
from  here,  and  not  a  step  out  of  our  way.  Will 
you  accompany  me?" 

Of  course,  this  strange  proposition  at  first  met 
with  strong  opposition,  especially  from  the  cap 
tain.  But  George  assured  them  that  there  was 
not  the  slightest  danger,  as  all  the  troops  in  that 
part  of  the  country  had  been  ordered  to  Fort  De 
Russy,  and  were  hourly  expecting  an  attack ; 


214  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

consequently  they  would  find  no  one  at  home  ex 
cept  George's  mother,  sisters,  and  a  few  old  ne 
groes  who  were  too  feeble  to  work  on  the  forti 
fications.  Besides,  as  all  the  troops  were  now  on 
Red  River,  their  safest  course  would  be  to  aban 
don,  for  awhile,  at  least,  the  idea  of  taking  it  as 
their  guide  to  the  Mississippi.  This  silenced 
their  objections,  and,  after  the  sentinels  for  the 
day  had  been  selected,  the  fugitives,  stretching 
themselves  out  on  the  ground,  and  fell  asleep — all 
except  Frank,  who  leaned  back  against  a  tree. 
While  he  kept  watch  over  his  sleeping  com 
panions,  he  pondered  upon  the  history  of  their 
new  acquaintance,  and  admired  the  high  sense  of 
duty  and  patriotism  that  had  animated  him  to 
make  so  great  a  sacrifice  for  the  sake  of  the  "  old 
flag." 


THE  SCENE  AT  THE  PLANTATION. 


215 


CHAPTER  XVII 


EXT  evening,  George  took  the  lead, 
and  conducted  them  through  the 
woods,  with  a  certainty  that  showed 
that  he  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
ground  over  which  they  were  passing. 
Not  a  word  did  he  speak  until  they 
emerged  from  the  woods,  and  found 
before  them  a  large  plantation,  with  the  huge, 
old-fashioned  farm-house,  surrounded  by  its  negro 
quarters  and  out-buildings,  looming  up  in  the 
distance. 

George  gazed  upon  the  scene  long  and  earn 
estly,  until  his  feelings  overcame  him,  when  he 
leaned  his  head  upon  his  hand,  and  gave  full  vent 
to  his  sorrow.  He  did  not  weep,  but  the  heaving 
of  his  chest,  and  the  quivering  of  his  whole  frame, 
showed  how  severe  was  the  struggle  that  was 


216  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

going  on  within  him.  His  companions,  who  well 
knew  what  was  passing  in  his  mind,  leaned  on 
their  weapons,  and  silently  waited  until  the  burst 
of  grief  had  subsided.  At  length,  George  recov 
ered  his  composure,  and  said,  slowly: 

"  It  looks  natural,  boys ;  every  thing  is  just  as 
I  left  it  five  years  ago.  Let  us  go  up  to  the 
house.  I  must  see  my  mother  and  sisters  once 
more.  We  will  say  that  we*  are  rebel  soldiers, 
and  want  something  to  eat.  My  father  and 
brothers  are  at  Fort  De  Russy  with  their  com 
mands,  so  there  will  be  no  danger." 

"But  your  uniform,"  said  Frank,  anxiously, 
"  that  will  certainly  betray  us." 

"  No  danger  of  that,"  ansAvered  George ;  "  a 
great  many  soldiers  in  the  rebel  army  wear  the 
Federal  uniform.  There  's  no  danger," 

Frank  was  far  from  being  satisfied,  but  he  fell 
in  with  the  rest,  and  followed  George  toward  the 
house.  A  few  moments'  walk  brought  them  to  a 
barn,  where  they  again  halted,  and,  while  George 
stood  feasting  his  eyes  on  each  familiar  object, 
the  captain  bound  the  rebel  lieutenant  hand  and 
foot,  and  laid  him  away  under  a  fence-corner;  and 
left  him,  with  the  information  that  his  life  de- 


THE    SCENE    AT    THE    PLANTATION.  217 

pended  upon  his  observing  the  strictest  silence. 
This  course  was  the  wisest  that  could  have  been 
adopted,  under  the  circumstances ;  for  it  would 
have  been  very  imprudent  to  have  taken  the 
prisoner  with  them,  as  he  could  easily  have 
found  means  to  make  himself  known. 

George  again  took  the  lead,  and,  when  they 
had  almost  reached  the  house,  they  heard  the 
sound  of  a  piano,  and  a  female  voice  singing  the 
never-failing  "  Bonnie  Blue  Flag." 

"  There  you  have  it,"  said  George,  bitterly ; 
"but  don't  stop — let's  go  right  in.  Major,  you 
had  better  go  up  to  the  door,  and  ask  them  to 
give  us  something  to  eat.  I  dare  not  trust  my 
self  to  do  it.  Be  a  bitter  rebel  now,  and  they 
will  certainly  invite  us  all  in,  and  we  will  get 
whatever  we  ask  for.  Now,  boys,"  he  continued, 
turning  to  the  others,  "  do  n't  watch  me  too 
closely  when  we  get  in  the  house,  or  you  will 
betray  me." 

The  major — after  making  sure  that  the  papers, 
which  had  already  been  of  so  much  service  to 
them,  were  still  in  his  pocket — ascended  the 
broad  stone  steps  that  led  up  to  the  portico,  and 
knocked  at  the  door.  It  was  opened  by  a  serv- 


218  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

ant,  who,  after  inquiring  what  he  wanted,  led  the 
way  into  a  brilliantly-lighted  parlor,  where  he  saw 
before  him  George's  mother  and  sisters. 

"  Good  evening,  sir,"  said  Mrs.  Le  Dell,  rising 
from  her  seat.  "  Is  there  any  way  in  which  we 
can  serve  you?" 

The  major  made  known  his  wants,  and  a  serv 
ant  was  at  once  dispatched  to  order  supper,  and 
to -invite  the  remainder  of  the  fugitives  into  the 
house.  As  they  filed  slowly  into  the  room — 
George  bringing  up  the  rear — the  particular  or 
ders  which  the  major  gave  about  the  muskets 
caused  the  lady  to  say : 

"  You  need  have  no  fear,  sir.  The  Yankees 
have  never  yet  favored  us  with  a  visit." 

"  I  know  it,  ma'am."  replied  the  major,  accept 
ing  a  chair  that  one  of  the  sisters  offered  him, 
"but  I  have  been  a  soldier  so  long,  that  I  never 
omit  to  make  preparations  for  a  fight." 

As  soon  as  they  were  fairly  seated,  Frank 
turned  to  look  at  George.  "That  boy  must  be 
made  of  iron,"  said  he  to  himself.  "  or  else  he  is 
among  his  friends,  and  we  are  betrayed;"  for,  in 
stead  of  being  embarrassed,  or  wearing  his  habit 
ual  sorrowful  look,  he  sat  easily  in  his  chair,  and 


THE    SCENE    AT    THE    PLANTATION.  219 

gazed  carelessly  about  the  room,  as  though  he 
were  a  perfect  stranger  there,  and  not  a  muscle 
quivered,  to  show  the  emotion  he  really  felt,  as 
his  eye  rested  on  the  familiar  faces  of  his  rela 
tives.  He  calmly  met  their  glances,  which  Frank 
thought  were  directed  toward  him  rather  suspi 
ciously,  but  all  attempts  to  draw  him  into  the 
conversation  that  followed,  about  the  war,  and 
the  certainty  of  speedily  overpowering  the  Yan 
kees,  and  driving  them  from  the  land,  were  una 
vailing.  Once  Frank  thought  he  heard  one  of 
his  sisters  whisper,  "How  much  he  looks  like 
George!"  but  he  was  not  recognized,  and  the 
supper,  which  was  enlivened  by  conversation  on 
indifferent  subjects,  passed  off  pleasantly. 

When  the  meal  was  finished,  a  large  bag  was 
filled  with  provisions,  sufficient  to  last  them  nearly 
a  week,  and  given  in  charge  of  one  of  the  sol 
diers  ;  and  the  major,  after  thanking  the  ladies 
for  their  kindness,  was  about  to  bid  them  good 
evening,  when  there  was  a  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs 
on  the  walk,  then  heavy  steps  sounded  in  the  hall, 
and  the  next  moment,  to  the  utter  astonishment 
and  horror  of  the  fugitives,  three  rebel  officers 
entered  the  room. 


220  FRANK    ON   A    GUN -BO  AT. 

They  were  General  Le  Dell  and  his  two  sons. 

Frank's  heart  fairly  came  up  into  his  mouth  at 
this  unwelcome  intrusion,  and  his  first  impulse 
was  to  draw  his  revolver  and  shoot  the  rebels 
where  they  stood;  but,  on  glancing  at  the  major, 
who  always  seemed  to  have  his  wits  about  him,  he 
abandoned  the  idea.  The  major,  with  the  rest, 
had  seized  his  musket,  but,  as  the  rebels  entered, 
he  returned  it  to  its  place  in  the  corner,  (motion 
ing  to  the  others  to  do  the  same,)  and,  saluting 
the  general,  said,  with  a  smile : 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  sir.  I  did  not  know  but 
that  the  Yankees  were  ii]  on  us." 

"  No  clanger  of  that,'  said  the  general,  with  a 
laugh ;  "  you  '11  never  see  them  as  far  up  in  the 
country  as  this.  Pray  be  seated,  sir." 

After  greeting  his  wife  and  daughters,  the  gen 
eral  again  turned  to  the  major,  whom,  by  his  sol 
dierly  bearing,  he  at  once  picked  out  as  the  leader 
of  the  band,  and  inquired : 

"May  I  ask  what  you  are  doing  up  here? 
Has  not  your  command  been  ordered  to  Fort  De 
Russy?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  But  I  am  out  on  a  scout,  by  order 
of  General  Taylor." 


THE    SCENE    AT    THE    PLANTATION.  221 

"  You  can  have  no  objection  to  produce  those 
orders  ?" 

"  0  no,  sir !  certainly  not.  Here  they  are," 
answered  the  major,  drawing  from  his  pocket  the 
papers  which  Frank  had  captured.  The  general, 
after  hastily  running  his  eye  over  them,  suddenly 
exclaimed  : 

"Why,  Lieutenant  Somers,  how  do  you  do,  sir? 
I  am  very  glad  to  meet  you  again.  I  heard  that 
you  had  been  taken  prisoner.  I  am  most  happy 
to  see  that  you  have  escaped." 

This  was  rather  more  than  the  major  had  been 
expecting,  and  he  suddenly  found  himself  placed 
in  a  most  awkward  position.  But  his  presence 
of  mind  never  forsook  him ;  and,  accepting  the 
rebel's  proffered  hand,  he  shook  it  with  apparent 
cordiality,  and  replied  : 

"  Thank  you,  sir,  I,  myself,  am  not  sorry  to 
know  that  I  am  a  free  man  once  more." 

"  You  probably  do  not  remember  me,"  contin 
ued  the  general,  "  but  I  was  well  acquainted  with 
your  father  before  he  moved  to  Georgia,  and  used 
to  trot  you  on  my  knee  when  you  were  a  little 
fellow ;  and  I  do  believe  you  were  the  ugliest 
little  brat  I  ever  had  any  thing  to  do  with.  You 


222  FRANK    ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

did  nothing  but  yell  and  screech  from  morning 
until  night.  But,  by  the  way,  your  father  met 
his  death  in  a  very  singular  manner,  did  he 
not?" 

"  Yes,  sir — very  singular — very  singular,  in 
deed,"  replied  the  major,  promptly,  as  though  he 
were  perfectly  familiar  with  all  of  the  particulars, 
although  in  reality  he  was  sorely  puzzled  to  know 
what  to  say.  What  if  the  rebel  should  ask  him 
to  explain  the  affair?  But  the  general  appeared 
to  be  well  enough  acquainted  with  the  matter,  for 
he  continued : 

"He  died  like  a  brave  man,  and  a  soldier.  I 
suppose  you  intend  to  take  ample  revenge  upon 
the  Yankees  to  pay  for  it." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  and  I  am  now  on  the  trail  of  the 
very  man  who  shot  him."  The  major  said  this  at 
a  venture;  but,  fortunately,  he  was  correct  in  his 
surmise  as  to  the  manner  in  which  Mr.  Somers 
departed  this  life. 

While  this  conversation  was  going  on,  Frank 
was  a  good  deal  annoyed  to  see  that  George's 
sisters,  and  one  of  his  brothers,  were  engaged 
in  mysterious  whisperings,  now  and  then  darting 
suspicious  glances  toward  his  new  companion. 


THE    SCENE    AT    THE    PLANTATION.  223 

When  the  general  entered,  George  had  risen  with 
the  rest  and  saluted  him,  after  which  he  had  re 
sumed  his  seat,  and  the  deep  blush  of  excitement 
that  arose  to  his  cheek  had  quickly  given  place  to 
the  same  careless  look  that  Frank  had  before  no 
ticed.  George  was  also  aware  that  the  whisper 
ing  that  was  going  on  related  to  himself,  and  it 
was  evident  that  his  relatives  had  some  suspicions 
of  who  he  was ;  but,  if  it  caused  him  any  uneasi 
ness,  he  was  very  careful  to  conceal  it. 

At  length,  one  of  his  brothers  drew  his  chair  to 
his  side,  and  said  : 

"Excuse  me,  sir;  but  I  believe  I've  seen  you 
before." 

"  I  should  n't  be  surprised  if  you  had,  sir,"  an 
swered  George,  steadily  meeting  the  rebel's  gaze. 
"  I  know  I  've  seen  you  before." 

His  brother   started   back   in   his  chair,  and  a 
gleam  of  triumph  shot  across  his  face  as  he  ex 
claimed: 

"  George,  I  know  you." 

"  And  you  will  have  cause  to  know  me  bettei 
before  this  war  is  over,"  answered  George,  forget 
ting,  in  his  excitement,  all  the  precautions  he  had 
before  adopted  to  escape  being  recognized. 


224  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

Had  a  thunderbolt  fallen  into  the  room,  the  as 
tonishment  of  the  general  and  his  wife  could  not 
have  been  greater.  They  sat  in  their  chairs  as 
motionless  as  if  they  had  been  suddenly  turned 
into  stone,  gazing  at  their  son  as  though  they 
could  scarcely  believe  their  eyes,  while  the  fugi 
tives  sat  with  their  hands  on  their  weapons,  won 
dering  what  would  be  the  result  of  George's  im 
prudence.  At  length  the  general,  who  was  the 
first  to  recover  from  his  astonishment,  vocif 
erated  : 

"  You  here,  you  rascal — you  young  traitor !  I 
thought  you  were  safe  in  the  prison  at  Tyler 
again  by  this  time." 

"No  djubt  you  did,"  answered  George,  bitterly. 
"But  I  \n  a  free  man  now,  and  intend  to  remain 
so." 

"  You  are  free  ! "  repeated  the  general ;  "  that 's 
a  capital  joke.  Lieutenant  Somers,  I  charge  you 
with  his  safe  delivery  at  Tyler." 

The  major,  greatly  relieved  to  find  that  the 
general  still  considered  him  a  rebel,  was  about  to 
promise  that  George  should  be  well  taken  care  of, 
when  the  latter,  to  the  astonishment  of  all,  boldly 
declared : 


THE  SCENE  AT  THE  PLANTATION.      225 

'*  That  is  not  Lieutenant  Somers.  These  gentle 
men  are  all  my  friends — Union  to  the  backbone." 

"Eh!  what?"  ejaculated  the  general,  in  sur 
prise,  scarcely  believing  what  he  heard.  "  These 
men  all  Yankees  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  every  one  of  them." 

"  A  nice-looking  set,  surely — a  fine  lot  of  jail 
birds  you  are." 

"  So  I  have  been  feeding  a  lot  of  tyrants  instead 
of  loyal  Confederate  soldiers,"  said  Mrs.  Le  Dell, 
while  the  sisters  gazed  at  the  young  hero  with 
contempt  pictured  in  their  faces. 

"No,  mother,  you  have  not  fed  tyrants,"  an 
swered  George,  with  a  good  deal  of  spirit,  "  but 
true  Union  men.  It  is  nothing  you  need  be 
ashamed  of." 

"  Well,  we  are  ashamed  of  it,"  said  the  general, 
who  seemed  to  be  fairly  beside  himself  with  rage. 
"Didn't  I  tell  you  never  to  darken  my  door 
again?  Where  are  you  traveling  to,  and  what  do 
you  intend  to  do?" 

"  I  am  on  my  way  North,  and  I  purpose  to 
join  my  vessel,  if  she  is  still  afloat." 

"You  '11    do    no    such    thing.      Just    consider 
yourselves  prisoners — all  of  you." 
15 


226  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

"  0  no,  sheneral,  I  pelieve  not, '  said  the  cap 
tain,  quietly,  "  'cause  you  see  we  six  been  more 
as  you  three." 

"No,  father,  we  shall  never  be  taken  prisoners 
again — never." 

"You  are  very  bold,  young  man,"  said  the 
general,  who,  as  he  gazed  upon  the  flushed  coun 
tenance  and  flashing  eyes  of  his  son,  could  not 
but  admire  his  courage.  "This  is  big  talk  for  a 
boy  of  your  age." 

"We  have  already  wasted  time  enough,"  said 
the  major,  growing  impatient.  "  Captain,  relieve 
those  gentlemen  of  their  weapons." 

The  order  was  promptly  obeyed,  the  rebels  of 
fering  no  resistance." 

"  Now,"  resumed  the  major,  "  we  shall  take 
our  leave.  Good  evening." 

"  You  '11  all  be  in  Fort  De  Hussy  in  less  than 
forty-eight  hours,"  shouted  the  general,  "  or  I  am 
very  much  mistaken." 

"  We  '11  be  dead  men,  then,"  answered  George. 
"  You  will  never  take  us  there  alive." 

The  fugitives  did  not  linger  to  converse,  but, 
made  all  haste  to  get  into  the  open  air.  The 
horses  belonging  to  the  rebels,  which  were  found 


THE  SCENE  AT  THE  PLANTATION.     227 

fastened  in  front  of  the  house,  were  immediately 
turned  loose,  and  a  thrust  from  the  captain's  bay 
onet  sent  them  galloping  up  the  road. 

George  silently  led  the  way  to  the  place  where 
they  had  left  their  prisoner,  and,  as  soon  as  he 
was  set  at  liberty,  they  bent  their  steps  across 
the  plantation,  toward  the  woods  at  the  rear. 
Although  George  had  borne  up  bravely  while  in 
the  presence  of  his  rebel  parents,  he  could  con 
trol  himself  no  longer,  and  tears,  which  he  could 
not  repress,  coursed  down  his  cheeks,  as  ever  and 
anon  he  turned  to  take  a  long,  lingering  look  at 
the  place  he  could  no  longer  call  home.  Every 
emotion  he  experienced  found  an  echo  in  the 
generous  heart  of  Frank,  who  was  scarcely  less 
affected  than  himself.  He  could  not  believe  that 
the  scene  through  which  they  had  just  passed 
was  a  reality.  It  did  not  seem  possible  that 
parents  could  address  a  son  in  the  language  that 
he  had  heard  used  toward  George. 

The  unexpected  denouement  at  the  house  had 

rendered  the  major  and  captain  doubly  anxious ; 

for  now  nothing  but  the  most   consummate  skill 

and  daring  could  save  them  from  recapture ;  and, 

virile  the  former  kept  close  watch  on  the  house. 


228  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

to  catch  the  first  sign  of  pursuit  that  should  be 
made,  the  latter  gave  vent  to  his  feelings  by 
railing,  in  his  broken  English,  first  at  George  for 
proposing  such  an  expedition,  and  then  by  depre 
cating  his  own  folly  for  yielding  his  consent  to  it. 
But  there  was  no  help  now ;  regrets  could  not 
mend  the  matter,  and  nothing  but  rapid  flight 
could  save  them. 

When  they  reached  the  end  of  the  field,  George 
became  suddenly  aroused.  Brushing  away  the 
tears  that  dimmed  his  eyes,  he  placed  himself  at 
the  head  of  the  party,  and  started  on  at  a  rapid 
Dace  through  the  woods. 


ALMOST    BETRAYED. 


229 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 


, HITHER  he  was  leading  them  no 
one  knew,  or  cared  to  ask ;  for,  if 
they  had  entertained  any  suspicions 
in  regard  to  George,  the  scene  at 
the  house  had  dispelled  them ;  and 
knowing  that  he  had  as  much,  if  not 
more,  cause  to  dread  recapture  than 
themselves,  they  relied  implicitly  on  him  to  get 
them  out  of  their  present  difficulty. 

The  woods  were  pitch-dark,  but  George  seemed 
to  understand  what  he  was  about,  and,  for  two 
hours,  not  a  word  was  spoken,  except,  perhaps, 
now  and  then  a  growl  of  anger,  as  some  one 
stumbled  over  a  log  or  bush  that  lay  in  his  way. 
Finally,  the  softness  of  the  ground  under  their 
feet  indicated  that  they  were  approaching  a 
swamp.  George  now  paused,  and  said  : 


230  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

"Major,  with  your  permission,  we  will  stop  here 
until  daylight.  It  is  impossible  to  go  further  in 
this  darkness,  for  it  is  an  ugly  road  to  travel." 

"What  makes  you  take  to  the  swamp?"  in 
quired  Frank. 

"It  is  a  short  cut  across  the  country,"  an 
swered  George,  "  and  if  we  are  pursued  by  blood 
hounds  we  can  more  easily  elude  them." 

Between  sleeping  and  listening  for  the  noise 
of  pursuit,  the  fugitives  passed  the  night.  As 
soon  as  day  began  to  dawn,  they  made  a  hasty 
breakfast  on  the  provisions  which  they  had  ob 
tained  at  the  plantation,  and  resumed  their  jour 
ney.  George  led  the  way  into  the  swamp,  and, 
as  he  seemed  to  choose  the  most  difficult  path, 
their  progress  was  necessarily  slow  and  laborious. 
About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  swamp  be 
came  almost  impassable,  and  the  major  was  about 
to  suggest  the  propriety  of  picking  out  an  easier 
path,  when  George  suddenly  halted  on  the  banks 
of  a  narrow,  but  deep  and  sluggish,  stream,  and, 
wiping  his  forehead  with  his  coat-sleeve,  said,  with 
something  like  a  sigh  of  relief: 

"Here  we  are,  at  last." 

"  I  see  we  are,"  said  the  major,  gazing  impa- 


ALMOST    BETRAYED.  231 

tiently  about  on  the  labyrinth  of  trees  and  bushes 
with  which  they  were  surrounded,  u  but  I  had 
rather  be  almost  anywhere  else.  You  might  as 
well  get  us  out  of  this  swamp  by  the  shortest  and 
easiest  path  you  can  find." 

"  I  will,  if  you  order  me  to  do  so,"  answered 
George ;  "  but  we  are  now  at  as  good  a  harbor 
ing  place  as  can  be  found  in  a  country  filled  with 
enemies, -bent  upon  our  capture,  and  thirsting  for 
our  blood.  I  know  my  father's  disposition  too 
well  to  think  that  he  will  allow  us  to  get  off  easily. 
The  country  is  fairly  overrun  with  cavalry  by 
this  time,  and  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  re 
main  here  until  the  excitement  has  abated  a  little, 
and  then  push  for  Red  River  again.  That  high 
bank  you  see  over  there,"  he  continued,  point 
ing  across  the  stream,  "is  an  island,  and  all 
the  blood-hounds  and  negro-hunters  in  Louisiana 
would  not  think  of  looking  for  us  there.  How 
ever,  I  will  lead  you  out  of  the  swamp,  if  you 
say  so." 

After  a  short  consultation,  it  was  decided  that 
it  would  be  best  to  accept  George's  plan,  as  their 
pursuers  would  never  think  of  looking  for  them 
so  near  the  plantation;  and,  after  divesting  them- 


232  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

selves  of  their  clothes,  they  entered  the  water, 
and  struck  out  for  the  opposite  shore.  Frank, 
who  brought  up  the  rear,  had  scarcely  made  half 
a  dozen  strokes,  when  he  was  startled  by  a  loud 
splashing  in  the  water,  followed  by  a  noise  resem 
bling  the  bellowing  of  a  bull,  and  looked  up  just 
in  time  to  see  the  huge,  shining  body  of  an  alli 
gator  disappear  in  the  muddy  water.  The  utmost 
horror  was  depicted  on  Frank's  countenance,  as 
he  turned  and  hastily  regained  the  shore.  The 
others,  who  were  too  far  out  to  return,  were  no 
less  terrified,  but  they  had  the  presence  of  mind 
to  retain  their  hold  of  their  clothing  and  weapons, 
and  a  few  hasty  strokes  brought  them  to  the 
shore.  George  and  the  lieutenant  were  the  only 
ones  who  did  not  seem  aware  of  the  danger;  for, 
when  the  former  reached  the  shore,  he  proceeded 
to  pull  on  his  clothes,  and,  seeing  Frank  standing 
where  he  had  left  him,  coolly  inquired : 

"  Why  do  n't  you  come  on?     Can't  you  swim?" 
"  Yes,"  answered  Frank ;  "  but  did  n't  you  see 
that  alligator?     I   almost  ran  over  him  before  1 
saw  him." 

"  0,   that 's   nothing,"  answered  George,  care 
lessly.     "  If  alligators   were   all  We  had  to  fear, 


ALMOST    BETRAYED.  233 

we  would  all  be  safe  at  the  North  in  less  than 
two  months.  They  are  death  on  darkeys,  but  they 
will  not  touch  a  white  man  in  the  water,  if  he 
keeps  moving.  There  7s  not  the  slightest  danger. 
Come  on." 

Frank  was  very  much  inclined  to  doubt  this 
statement;  but,  screwing  up  his  courage  to  the 
highest  pitch,  he  stepped  into  the  water  again, 
and  struck  out.  When  he  reached  the  middle  of 
the  stream,  he  saw  a  large,  black  object  rise  in 
the  water  but  a  short  distance  from  him,  and, 
after  regarding  him  a  moment  with  a  pair  of  small, 
sharp-looking  eyes,  it  disappeared,  with  another 
of  those  roars  which  had  so  startled  him  but  a 
moment  before.  He  kept  on,  however,  and,  in 
a  few  moments,  reached  the  shore  in  safety. 

"  Now,"  said  George,  "  there  is,  or  was  about 
five  years  ago,  a  cabin  on  this  island,  where  our 
negroes  used  to  put  up  when  they  came  here 
fishing.  Let  us  see  if  we  can  find  it." 

He  commenced  leading  the  way,  through  the 
thick  bushes  and  trees,  toward  the  center  of  the 
island,  and,  after  a  few  moments'  walk,  they  sud 
denly  entered  a  small,  clear  spot,  where  stood  the 
cabin  of  which  George  had  spoken.  But  a  far 


234  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

different  scene  was  presented  than  they  had  ex 
pected ;  for  a  fire  was  burning  near  the  cabin, 
and  a  man  stood  over  it,  superintending  the  cook 
ing  of  his  supper,  and  conversing  in  a  low  tone 
with  a  companion  who  lay  stretched  out  on  his 
blanket  close  by.  Both  were  dressed  in  the  rebel 
uniform,  and  their  muskets  and  a  cavalry  saber 
were  hung  up  under  the  eaves  of  the  cabin. 
George  at  once  hastily  drew  back  into  the  bushes, 
while  the  captain  threw  forward  his  musket,  and 
whispered : 

"  Major,  I  pelieve  it 's  petter  we  shoots  them 
rebels." 

Before  the  major  had  time  to  reply,  a  large 
dog,  which  the  fugitives  had  not  before  noticed, 
arose  from  the  blanket  where  he  had  lain  beside 
his  master,  and  uttered  a  low  growl,  whereat  the 
rebels  seized  their  weapons,  and  were  beating  a 
precipitate  retreat,  when  a  loud  "halt!"  from  the 
major  brought  them  to  a  stand-still, 

"  We  takes  you  all  two  brisoners,''  said  the 
captain,  as  he  advanced  from  the  bushes,  fol 
lowed  by  the  remainder  of  the  fugitives,  who 
all  held  their  weapons  in  readiness.  "Drop 
them  guns." 


ALMOST    BETRAYED.  235 

The  rebels  did  as  they  were  ordered,  and  the 
major  said  : 

"  Now  we  will  talk  to  you.  Who  and  what  are 
you?" 

The  men  hesitated  for  a  moment,  and  at  length 
one  of  them,  turning  to  his  companion  with  a 
meaning  look,  said : 

"  We  're  caught,  any  way  we  can  fix  it,  Jim, 
and  we  may  as  well  make  a  clean  breast  of  it. 
We  are  deserters." 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  " 

"We  came  here  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  you 
fellows  who  were  sent  after  us.  It  is  as  good  a 
place  of  refuge  as  we  could  find,  and,  to  tell  the 
truth,  we  did  not  think  you  would  discover  it. 
You  must  have  followed  us  with  blood-hounds." 

"No,  sir;  we  did  not,"  exclaimed  the  major, 
indignantly.  "What  do  you  take  us  for — sav 
ages?" 

"Well,  you  found  us  in  some  way,"  replied  the 
rebel,  "  and  I  suppose  we  're  done  for." 

"No,  not  necessarily.  We  shall  not  trouble 
you  as  long  as  you  behave  yourselves,  for  we  are 
in  a  bad  fix  also." 

"  Are  you  deserters,  too  ? "  inquired  the  rebel, 


236  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

joyfully.  "  If  you  are,  we  are  all  right,  foi,  witl 
the  force  we  have,  we  can  defend  this  island 
against  as  many  men  as  they  can  pile  into  Louis 
iana.  But,  shoot  me  if  I  did  n't  think  you  were 
looking  after  us.  I  see  you  have  gobbled  a  Yan 
kee,"  he  continued,  pointing  to  the  lieutenant 
"But,  come,  sit  down  and  have  some  supper." 

The  major  was  perfectly  willing  that  the  reb 
els  should  consider  themselves  in  the  presence 
of  their  own  men ;  and,  besides,  if  they  were 
really  deserters,  their  being  on  the  island  proved 
what  George  had  told  them,  that  it  was  considered 
to  be  a  safe  place  for  concealment.  The  only 
cause  he  had  for  uneasiness  was  the  presence  of 
the  rebel  lieutenant ;  if  he  should  find  opportunity 
to  talk  to  the  men,  he  would  soon  make  known 
the  true  state  of  affairs. 

"  Captain,"  he  whispered,  turning  to  that  indi 
vidual,  "keep  an  eye  on  that  prisoner  of  ours, 
and  do  not,  under  any  circumstances,  leave  him 
alone  with  these  deserters." 

The  fugitives  then  threw  themselves  on  the 
ground,  under  the  shade  of  the  trees,  and,  while 
the  majority  readily  entered  into  conversation 
with  the  rebels,  Frank,  who  had  grown  suspicious 


ALMOST   BETRAYED.  237 

^f  every  thing  that  looked  like  friendship,  in  spite 
of  the  cordial  manner  with  which  the  deserters  had 
welcomed  them,  could  not,  for  a  long  time,  satisfy 
himself  that  every  thing  was  right.  However,  as 
he  could  detect  nothing  in  the  actions  of  the  men 
to  confirm  his  suspicions,  and,  as  the  fact  that 
their  food  was  supplied  to  them  by  a  negro,  who 
visited  the  island •-  every  night,  gave 'him  good 
grounds  for  believing  that  there  might,  after  all, 
be  some  truth  in  their  statement,  he  dismissed 
the  subject  for  the  present,  but  determined  that 
the  men  should  be  closely  watched. 

During  the  two  following  days,  which  the 
fugitives  spent  on  the  island,  nothing  suspicious 
was  discovered.  Wherever  the  lieutenant  went 
he  was  closely  followed  by  his  keeper,  and  he  was 
never  allowed  to  be  alone  with  the  other  rebels. 
In  fact,  he  did  not  seem  at  all  desirous  of  having 
any  conversation  with  them,  for,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  taking  a  short  walk  about  the  island  after 
every  meal,  he  passed  both  day  and  night  in 
dozing  in  the  cabin.  The  rebels,  on  the  other 
hand,  appeared  to  believe  him  a  "  Yankee,"  and 
as  such,  considered  him  beneath  their  notice. 
Frank  was  beginning  to  think  that  his  fears  had 


238  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

been  utterly  groundless,  when,  on  the  third  night, 
he  was  fortunate  enough  to  detect  a  plot,  which, 
if  carried  into  execution,  would  have  put  an  end 
to  all  his  hopes  of  seeing  home  again,  perhaps 
forever. 

It  was  his  duty  to  stand  sentry  from  dark  until 
midnight.  As  he  walked  his  beat,  listening  for 
the  signal  of  the  negro,  whom  he  every  moment 
expected  with  another  supply  of  provisions,  and 
thinking  over  the  scenes  through  which  he  had 
passed  since  he  had  entered  the  service,  he*  heard 
a  slight  rustling  in  the  bushes  back  of  the  cabin, 
and  saw  one  of  the  deserters  disappear  among  the 
trees.  What  could  the  man  mean  by  moving  about 
the  island  at  that  time  of  night?  There  must 
be  something  wrong,  for  his  stealthy  movements 
proved  that  he  did  not  wish  to  be  observed. 
While  Frank  was  pondering  upon  the  subject, 
and  debating  the  propriety  of  informing  the  major 
of  the  fact,  the  lieutenant  sauntered  leisurely  uj 
to  the  place  where  he  was  standing,  and,  stretch 
ing  his  arms,  languidly  inquired  : 

"  Don't  you  think  it  is  very  sultry  this  evening? 
it  is  impossible  for  me  to  sleep." 

This  was  something  unusual  for  the  lieutenant, 


ALMOST    BETRAYED.  239 

,  although  he  had  often  conversed  very  freely 
with  the  major,  had  never  before  spoken  to  Frank 
since  the  night  of  his  capture.  The  latter  knew 
that  the  rebel  had  some  object  in  view,  and  at 
once  determined  to  act  as  though  he  suspected 
nothing,  and  to  await  the  issue  of  affairs. 

"  Yes,  it  is  very  warm,"  he  replied,  fanning 
himself  with  his  cap.  "  I  shall  be  glad  when  I 
get  North  again." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,"  answered  the  rebel,  carelessly. 
"  I  believe  I  '11  go  down  to  the  spring  and  get  a 
cup  of  water,  if  you  have  no  objections." 

As  soon  as  he  had  disappeared,  Frank  threw 
himself  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and  crawling  to 
the  edge  of  the  bank,  looked  over,  and  saw  the 
lieutenant  and  the  deserter,  whom  he  had  seen 
stealing  from  the  cabin,  engaged  in  conversation. 

"  They  will  be  here  to-morrow  night,  then,  with 
out  fail?"  he  heard  the  lieutenant  ask. 

"  Yes,  so  the  negro  says,"  replied  the  deserter. 

"  Twelve  of  them,  did  you  say  ?  That  will  make 
sixteen,  including  the  negro.  There  will  be  none 
too  many  of  us,  for  these  Yankees  will  fight  like 
perfect  demons.  If  we  fail,  our  lives  will  not  be 
worth  five  minutes'  purchase." 


240  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

"  Do  not  have  any  fears,"  replied  the  other, 
"I  have  made  'assurance  doubly  sure,'  and  fail 
ure  is  impossible." 

"  Well,  go  back  to  the  cabin  now,"  said  the 
lieutenant,  "  for  you  might  be  missed." 

On  hearing  this,  Frank  hastily  retreated,  and 
regained  his  post.  Presently  the  lieutenant  re 
turned,  and,  after  giving  Frank  a  drink  of  water 
from  his  cup,  sought  his  blanket. 

"A  pretty  piece  of  business,  indeed,'''  thought 
Frank,  as  he  commenced  walking  his  be  it  again. 
"  It  is  fortunate  I  discovered  it.  I  '11  kec  p  a  look 
out  for  the  negro,  and  learn  all  I  can  frnn  him." 

He  was  not  obliged  to  wait  long,  for  j  resently 
a  low  whistle,  that  sounded  from  the  opposite 
side  of  the  bayou,  told  that  the  negro  was  in 
waiting.  Frank  answered  the  signal,  when  *  light 
canoe  shot  out  from  the  shore  and  app'/t  iched 
the  island.  In  a  few  moments  the  negro  ^  *lked 
up  the  bank,  and,  depositing  a  large  bag  of  pro 
visions  in  the  cabin,  turned  to  go  back,  foil'  wed 
by  Frank,  who  commenced  conversation  b^  ob 
serving,  "  A  warm  evening,  uncle ; "  but,  the 
moment  they  were  out  of  sight  of  the  cabh>  he 
inquired,  in  a  low  voice : 


ALMOST   BETRAYED.  241 

"'Are  those  twelve  men  all  ready  to  come  here 
to-morrow  night?" 

"  Sar !  what  twelve  men?"  asked  the  negro,  in 
well-feigned  surprise.  "  I  dunno  nuffin  'bout  no 
twelve  men." 

"  0,  now,  see  here,  uncle,"  said  Frank,  "  that 
stcry  won't  do  at  all,  for  I  know  better  than  that. 
You  see  this  is  the  first  chance  I  have  had  to  talk 
to  you,  for  these  Yanks  watch  me  so  closely. 
Now,  at  what  hour  are  they  to  be  here?" 

"  I  tol'  you,  massa,"  repeated  the  negro,  "  dat 
I  dunno  nuffin  'bout  no  men;"  and,  thinking  he 
had  settled  the  matter,  turned  to  walk  away. 

But  Frank  was  not  yet  done  with  him,  and, 
seeing  that  he  was  too  cunning  to  be  "  pumped," 
determined  to  try  what  effect  the  sight  of  his 
weapons  would  produce.  Seizing  the  negro  by  the 
collar,  he  pressed  the  muzzle  of  his  revolver  against 
his  head,  whispering,  between  his  clenched  teeth: 

"  See  here,  you  black  rascal !  you  do  know  all 
about  the  matter,  for  you  have  carried  orders 
from  these  rebels  here  to  their  friends.  So,  con 
fess  the  whole  truth,  instantly." 

"  I  dunno  nuffin  'bout  no  men,  I  tol'  you,"  per 
sisted  the  negro. 
16 


242  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

"You  won't  confess,  eh?"  said  Frank,  cocking 
his  revolver.  "  Then  you  're  a  dead  man." 

"  0  Lor' !  do  n't  shoot,  massa,"  exclaimed  the 
now  terrified  negro.  "What  shall  I  'fess." 

"Confess  the  truth,"  replied  Frank,  "and  you 
shall  not  be  harmed ;  but,  if  you  try  to  deceive 
me,  you  're  a  dead  darkey.  Answer  such  ques 
tions  as  I  shall  ask  you.  In  the  first  place,  who 
are  these  men  who  say  they  are  rebel  deserters?" 

"  One  of  'em  is  my  massa,  an'  de  other  is  a 
captain  in  de  army." 

"  What  are  they  doing  on  this  island  ? " 

"  Dey  come  here  for  to  cotch  young  massa 
George  Le  Dell,  'cause  dey  knowed  he  would  be 
shore  for  to  come  here." 

"  Well,  how  many  men  are  you  going  to  bring 
over  here  to-morrow  night  ? " 

"  Twelve,  sar,  an'  I  fotch  'em  in  de  big  canoe/' 

"At  what  hour?" 

"  Midnight,  when  de  moon  hab  gone  down,  an' 
my  massa  is  on  guard." 

Having  got  this  important  information,  Fr;»nk 
released  the  negro,  and  regained  his  post  without 
being  discovered.  At  midnight  he  called  his  relief. 
and  then  lay  ^own  on  the  ground  and  fell  asleep. 


ALMOST    BETRAYED.  243 

After  breakfast,  the  next  morning,  as  the  major 
\vent  to  the  spring  to  fill  his  cup,  Frank,  who  had 
followed  close  behind  him,  said  suddenly : 

"  We  're  in  trouble  again." 

"  Yes,  and  always  shall  be,"  answered  the 
major,  coolly,  "  until  we  are  safe  at  the  North. 
But  what  is  the  matter  now — any  thing  new  ?  " 

u  Yes,"  replied  Frank,  speaking  in  a  whisper, 
lest  he  should  be  overheard.  "  Last  night  I  dis 
covered  that  there  is  a  plot  on  foot  to  recapture 
us,  and  the  attempt  is  to  be  made  at  midnight. 
These  men  we  found  here  are  not  deserters,  as 
they  claim  to  be,  but  still  belong  to  the  army." 

The  major,  as  if  not  at  all  concerned,  raised 
the  cup  to  his  lips  and  slowly  drained  it,  keeping 
his  eyes  fastened  on  Frank,  who  finally  began  to 
grow  impatient,  and  inquired : 

"  What  shall  we  do  to  defeat  them  ?  " 

"  Keep  cool,  for  one  thing,"  answered  the 
major.  "But  tell  me  all  the  particulars." 

Frank  then  recounted  every  $iing  that  had 
transpired.  When  he  had  finished,  the  major 
carelessly  remarked: 

"  The  rascals  played  their  parts  pretty  well ;  in 
fact,  very  well,  indeed.  Now,  the  first  thing  to 


244  FRANK   ON   A   GUN-BOAT. 

be  done  is  to  go  back  to  the  camp  and  secure 
those  two  fellows.  We  '"11  determine  upon  oui 
plans  afterward." 

They  accordingly  slowly  returned  to  the  cabin, 
and  found  their  men  engaged,  one  in  sharpening 
his  bowie-knife,-  and  the  other  cleaning  his  rifle. 
The  major  walked  straight  up  to  one  of  them, 
and,  seizing  his  musket,  wrested  it  from  him.  The 
other,  comprehending  the  state  of  affairs  in  an  in 
stant,  exclaimed  "Betrayed!"  and  turned  to  run, 
when  Frank  grappled  with  him  and  threw  him 
to  the  ground. 

"What  ish  the  matter  here,  any  way?"  ex 
claimed  the  captain,  who  was  taken  so  completely 
by  surprise  that  he  stood  riveted  to  the  spot. 

"Lend  a  hand  here,"  answered  Frank,  strug 
gling  desperately  with  his  man,  "and  ask  your 
questions  afterward." 

The  captain  at  once  sprang  to  Frank's  assist 
ance  ;  in  a  moment,  the  rebel  was  disarmed,  and 
his  hands  bound  behind  his  back.  The  major, 
in  the  mean  time,  having  succeeded  in  securing 
his  man,  gave  a  hasty  explanation  of  the  matter, 
and  ended  by  saying  : 

"  There  is  but  one  way  for  us  to  do,  and  that 


ALMOST   BETRAYED.  245 

is   to   leave   this   place   at   once.     Tie   those  two 
rebels  to  some  of  these  trees,  and  then  we  '11  be 

off;' 

As  soon  as  this  was  accomplished,  and  the 
major  had  satisfied  himself  that  there  was  not 
the  least  chance  for  their  escape,  he  said : 

•"Now,  we  shall  leave  you  here.  Your  friends 
will  probably  be  along  at  midnight  and  liberate 
you." 

The  rebels  made  no  reply,  and  the  fugitives, 
after  collecting  their  weapons,  again  set  out, 
taking  the  lieutenant  with  them.  The  major  or 
dered  George  to  lead  them  by  the  most  direct 
route  to  Red  River.  This  was  a  desperate 
measure,  but  their  case  was  also  desperate.  The 
country  on  all  sides  of  them  had  been  alarmed, 
and,  if  Red  River  was  closely  guarded,  the 
Washita  was  equally  dangerous. 

So  anxious  were  they  to  put  as  long  a  distance 
is  possible  between  them  and  the  scene  of  their 
late  narrow  escape,  that  they  traveled  until  the 
next  morning — stopping  only  to  eat  sparingly  of 
some  provisions  which  one  of  the  soldiers  had  se 
cured  before  leaving  the  island — and  then  camped 
in  the  swamp,  and  slept  soundly. 


246  FRANK   ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


HE   next  evening,  as  soon  as   it  was 
dark,  they  again  started  out.     For 
three  days  they  held  their  course 
straight  through  the  woods,  and,  finally, 
releasing  their  prisoner,  they  bent  their 
steps    toward   Red  River,   where,   after 
many  delays,  they  succeeded  in  secur 
ing  a  canoe. 

They  traveled  entirely  by  night,  and,  in  a  short 
time  reached  Alexandria,  where  they  landed  just 
above  the  village,  and  went  ashore  to  reconnoiter. 
To  their  disappointment  they  found  that  the  place 
was  filled  with  soldiers,  and  that  a  pontoon-bridge 
had  been  thrown  across  the  river,  and  was  guarded 
at  both  ends. 

After  making  all  their  observations,  they  re 
treated  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  held  a  con- 


CONCLUSION.  247 

ouitation.  Should  they  abandon  their  canoe,  and 
strike  off  through  the  woods  again?  There  were 
many  objections  to  this  plan.  The  country,  for 
miles  around,  was,  doubtless,  filled  with  encamp 
ments,  and  guarded  by  pickets,  and  their  progress 
would  involve  both  danger  and  difficulty.  Besides, 
they  were  almost  worn  out  with  travel  and  con 
stant  watching,  and,  even  had  there  been  no  ob 
stacles  in  their  way,  it  would  have  been  impossible 
for  them  to  sustain  a  long  journey  across  the 
country.  It  was  finally  decided  to  follow  the 
river.  They  resolved  to  run  the  bridge,  and  hoped, 
aided  by  darkness,  to  escape  discovery.  It  was 
necessary  that  some  one  should  guide  the  canoe, 
and,  as  Frank  perfectly  understood  its  manage 
ment,  he  was  selected  for  the  purpose. 

As  soon  as  the  moon  had  gone  down,  Frank 
seated  himself  in  the  stern  of  the  canoe,  and  his 
companions  stretched  themselves  out  under  the 
thwarts,  as  much  out  of  sight  as  possible.  As  soon 
as  all  was  ready,  he  moved  their  frail  craft  from 
•  the  shore,  with  one  silent  sweep  of  the  paddle,  turn 
ing  it  toward  the  bridge. 

It  was   a  dangerous  undertaking;    but  Frank, 
although  perfectly  aware  of  this,  and  knowing  what 


248  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

his  fate  would  be  if  he  was  recaptured,  had  nevej 
been  more  cool  and  self-possessed  in  his  life.  He 
remained  at  his  station  until  they  were  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  the  bridge.  He  then  drew  in  his 
paddle,  and  laid  on  the  bottom  of  the  canoe,  with 
the  others,  awaiting  the  issue. 

Propelled  by  the  force  of  the  current,  the  canoe 
rapidly  approached  the  bridge,  and,  presently,  they 
could  distinctly  hear  the  sentinels  talking  with  each 
other.  They  had  not  been  expecting  an  enemy  in 
that  quarter;  but,  in  a  few  moments,  that  danger 
was  passed.  For  miles  below  Alexandria,  the 
river  was  lined  with  picket  fires,  and  the  slightest 
noise  would  have  betrayed  them.  But  they  were 
not  discovered ;  and,  after  a  week's  journey — during 
which  the  papers  Frank  had  taken  from  the  rebel 
lieutenant  procured  them  food — they  reached  the 
Mississippi  River. 

To  their  disappointment  they  learned  that  Vicks- 
burg  was  still  in  possession  of  the  rebels,  and  that 
they  had  two  hundred  miles  further  to  go  be 
fore  they  would  be  among  friends  again.  After 
having  come  so  far,  they  could  not  be  discouraged, 
but,  taking  a  few  moments'  repose,  they  again  set 
out.  ' 


CONCLUSION.  249 

The  current  in  the  river  was  very  strong,  and 
it  was  a  month  before  they  reached  Vicksburg. 
One  dark  night,  they  ran  by  the  city  in  safety,  and 
the  next  morning,  to  their  joy,  they  found  them 
selves  in  sight  of  a  gun-boat,  for  which  they  imme 
diately  shaped  their  course.  As  they  approached 
her,  Frank  thought  there  was  something  about  the 
vessel  that  looked  familiar;  and  when  they  came 
alongside,  he  found  that  it  was  the  Ticonderoga. 
She  had  been  repainted,  and  some  of  her  rigging 
altered,  which  was  the  reason  he  had  not  recog 
nized  her  before. 

Frank  almost  cried  with  joy  when  he  found 
himself  once  more  on  his  own  ship;  and  all  the 
dangers  he  had  undergone  were  forgotten  in  a  mo 
ment.  He  saw  many  new  officers  on  board,  and  a 
master's  mate  met  them  at  the  gangway,  who,  prob 
ably,  held  the  position  he  once  occupied. 

The  captain  stood  on  deck,  but  did  not  recognize 
him ;  and  even  the  old  mate,  with  whom  Frank  had 
been  an  especial  favorite,  gazed  at  him  as  though 
he  were  a  perfect  stranger. 

"Walk  up  on  deck,  men,"  said  the  officer  who 
received  them,  and  who,  doubtless,  took  them  for 
rebel  deserters,  "  the  captain  wants  to  see  you." 


250  FRANK    ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

IVank  led  the  way  up  the  ladder,  and,  as  they 
filed,  one  after  the  other,  on  to  the  quarter-deck, 
the  captain  inquired: 

"Where  do  you  belong,  men?" 

"  I  formerly  belonged  here,  sir,''  answered 
Frank,  raising  his  hat ;  "  and  I  have  the  honor  to 
report  myself  on  board." 

"Report  yourself  on  board  !"  repeated  the  cap 
tain,  in  a  tone-  of  surprise. 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  have  n't  been  on  board  since  we 
were  down  Yazoo  Pass.  I  did  not  intend  to  re 
main  away  so  long,  when  I  left  the  ship,  but  I 
could  n't  help  it." 

"Explain  yourself,"  said  the  captain,  growing 
impatient ;  "  I  do  n't  know  what  you  mean." 

"My  name  is  Nelson,  sir ;  I  was  captured  at" — 

"  Why,  Mr.  Nelson ! "  exclaimed  the  captain, 
seizing  his  hand  with  a  grip  that  almost  wrung 
from  him  a  cry  of  pain,  "is  it  possible  this  is 
you  ?  I  never  expected  to  see  you  again.  But 
who  are  these  with  you?" 

"  They  are  some  of  our  soldiers,  whom  I  met  on 
the  way  down." 

Their  story  was  very  soon  told.  When  it  be 
came  known  that  the  rebel  lieutenant  who  was 


CONCLUSION.  251 

talking  with  the  captain  was  none  other  than 
Frank  Nelson,  the  quarter-deck  was  filled  with 
officers  and  men,  who  gathered  around  the  young 
hero,  congratulating  him  on  his  safe  return.  He 
was  compelled  to  relate  the  particulars  of  his  es 
cape  over  and  over  again ;  and,  finally,  he  and 
his  companions  were  taken  down  into  the  ward 
room,  and  supplied  with  clothing  more  befitting 
their  stations  than  that  which  they  wore. 

For  two  days  Frank  did  nothing  but  answer 
questions  and  relate  incidents  that  occurred  dur 
ing  the  flight  from  Shreveport.  But  at  length  the 
reaction  came,  and  he,  with  several  of  his  com 
panions,  were  seized  with  the  fever.  For  a  month 
Frank  was  very  ill;  but  he  received  the  best  of 
care,  and,  aided  by  his  strong  constitution,  the 
progress  of  the  disease  was  stayed. 

One  day  the  captain  came  into  his  room,  and, 
seating  himself  by  his  bedside,  inquired : 
"Well,  Mr.  Nelson,  how  do  you  prosper?" 
"  Oh,  I  am  getting  along  finely,  thank  you,  sir." 
"Do  you  think  you  will  be  strong  enough  to 
travel,  soon?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Frank,  wondering  what 
made  the  captain  ask  that  question. 


252  FRANK   ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

"How  would  you  enjoy  a  trip  home?" 

"Oh,  I  should  enjoy  it  above  all  things,  sir.  1 
never  was  away  from  home  so  long  before,  in  my 
life." 

"  Well,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  rose  to  go,  "  you 
must  hurry  and  get  well  as  fast  as  you  can.  The 
doctor  told  me  that  he  thought  you  ought  to  go 
North  and  recruit  a  little ;  so  I  wrote  to  the  Ad 
miral,  and  obtained  you  a  sick-leave.  The  dis 
patch  boat  will  be  along  in  a  day  or  two,  and  I  will 
send  you  up  the  river  on  her.  I  think  it  is  noth 
ing  more  than  right  that  you  should  go  home  for 
a  couple  of  months,  at  least,  for  you  have  been 
through  a  good  deal  for  a  young  man  of  your  age." 

The  thought  that  he  was  soon  to  see  his  home 
again  did  Frank  more  good  than  all  the  medicine 
the  doctor  had  given  him ;  and,  by  the  time  the 
mail  steamer  arrived,  he  was  able  to  walk  about. 
In  two  weeks  they  arrived  at  Cairo.  The  steamer 
had  scarcely  touched  the  wharf-boat  before  Archie, 
who  had  seen  his  cousin  standing  on  deck,  sprang 
on  board. 

We  can  not  describe  the  meeting.  To  Archie  it 
was  like  finding  one  risen  from  the  dead;  for  he  had 
heard  of  Frank's  capture,  and  had  never  expected 


CONCLUSION.  253 

• 

to  see  him  again.  A  multitude  of  questions  were 
asked  and  answered  on  both  sides ;  and  when  Frank 
informed  Archie  that  he  was  on  his  way  home, 
the  latter  abruptly  left  him,  and  hurried  to  the 
fleet  paymaster  to  ask  permission  to  accompany 
his  cousin.  This,  as  business  was  dull,  and  as 
Archie  had  always  been  very  faithful,  was  readily 
obtained.  They  made  preparations  for  immediate 
departure.  After  Archie  had  telegraphed  to  his 
father  that  Frank  was  safe — taking  care,  however, 
not  to  say  one  word  about  their  coming  home — 
they  took  their  seats  in  the  cars,  and  soon  arrived 
safely  in  Portland.  Frank  remained  there  only 
one  day,  and  then  set  out  for  Lawrence. 

Only  those  who  have  been  in  similar  circum 
stances  can  imagine  what  Frank's  feelings  were, 
as  he  stood  on  the  deck  of  the  Julia  Burton,  and 
found  himself  once  more  in  sight  of  his  native  vil 
lage.  Familiar  objects  met  his  eye  on  every  side. 
There  were  the  weeds  that  surrounded  the  perch- 
bed,  where  he,  in  company  with  George  and  Harry 
Butler,  was  fishing  when  he  made  the  acquaintance 
of  Charles  Morgan,  who  was  afterward  the  leader 
of  the  Regulators.  Above  the  perch-bed  was  the 
bass-ground,  and  to  the  left  was  Reynard's  Island, 


254  FRANK   ON   A    GUN-BOAT. 

• 

where  the  black  fox  had  been  captured.  Near  the 
middle  of  the  river  lay  Strawberry  Island,  which 
had  been  the  silent  witness  of  many  a  sailing  match 
between  the  yachts  of  the  village ;  in  short,  every 
thing  looked  exactly  as  it  did  when,  just  fifteen 
months  before,  he  had  sailed  down  the  river  on 
that  same  steamer,  on  his  way  to  Portland. 

As  soon  as  the  steamer  was  made  fast  to  the 
wharf,  Frank  gave  his  trunk  in  charge  of  a  dray 
man,  and  set  out  on  foot  for  the  cottage ;  for,  im 
patient  as  he  was  to  get  home,  he  wished  to  have 
time  to  enjoy  the  sight  of  each  familiar  object  along 
the  road;  besides,  he  wished  to  come  in  upon  his 
folks  (who  little  dreamed  that  he  was  so  near  them) 
suddenly,  and  take  them  by  surprise.  Every  thing 
in  the  village,  and  along  the  road,  looked  as  natural 
as  ever ;  not  a  tree,  bush,  or  stump  seemed  to  have 
been  removed.  At  length  he  reached  the  bend  in 
the  road  which  brought  him  in  sight  of  his  home. 
He  stopped  to  gaze  upon  the  scene.  Not  a  thing 
about  the  house  or  orchard  had  been  changed.  He 
noticed  that  a  part  of  the  rose-bush  which  covered 
his  window,  and  which  had  been  broken  off  in  a 
storm  the  night  before  he  left,  still  swung  loose  in 
the  wind;  and  even  his  fish-pole,  which  he  had 


CONCLUSION.  255 

up  under  the  eaves  of  his  museum,  had  not 
been  touched. 

While  he  stood  thus,  trying  in  vain  to  choke 
back  the  tears,  he  was  aroused  by  a  well-known 
bark;  the  next  moment  Brave  bounded  over  the 
fence,  and  came  toward  his  master  at  the  top  of 
his  speed.  He  had  been  lying  in  his  accustomed 
place  in  front  of  the  house ;  he  had  seen  Frank 
approaching,  and  had  recognized  him  in  an  in 
stant.  Frank  wound  his  arms  around  the  faithful 
animal's  neck,  and,  after  caressing  him  for  a  mo 
ment,  again  started  toward  the  house,  Brave  lead 
ing  the  way,  with  every  demonstration  of  joy.  As 
soon  as  Frank  succeeded  in  quieting  him,  he  walked 
through  the  gate,  noiselessly  opened  the  door  lead 
ing  into  the  hall,  and  paused  to  listen. 

He  heard  Julia's  voice  singing  one  of  his  favor 
ite  songs,  while  a  loud  clatter  of  dishes  told  him 
that  Hannah  was  still  in  charge  of  the  kitchen. 

Brave  ran  into  the  sitting-room,  barking  and 
whining  furiously,  and  Frank  heard  his  mothei 
say: 

"  Julia,  I  guess  you  did  not  close  the  front  door 
when  you  came  in.  Be  quiet,  Brave.  What  is  the 
matter  with  you?"  and  Mrs.  Nelson,  dressed  in 


256  FRANK    ON    A    GUN-BOAT. 

deep  mourning,  came  into  the  hall.     The  next  mo 
ment  she  was  clasped  in  her  son's  arms. 

Let  those  who  have  sons  and  brothers  in  the 
service  imagine  the  joy  that  prevailed  in  that 
house !  They  had  heard  of  Frank's  capture, 
through  Archie  and  the  captain  of  the  Ticonde- 
roga,  and,  afterward,  that  he  was  killed  at  Shreve- 
port,  while  attempting  to  run  by  the  guards. 

"  Mother,"  said  Frank,  as  soon  as  the  greeting 
was  over,  "  you  told  me,  when  I  went  away,  never 
to  shrink  from  my  duty,  but  always  to  do  what  was 
required  of  me,  no  matter  what  the  danger  might 
be.  Have  I  obeyed  your  instructions?" 

Reader,  will  you  answer  the  question  for  her? 
and  will  you  follow  Frank  through  his  adventures 
before  Vicksburg  and  on  the  Lower  Mississippi  ? 

THE   ENfr. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


JUL  12  U6  3  SRC1 


JUL2519i 


1     /I 


CIR.   DEC     7 

MAR  0  /  i999 


,._ 


M313226 


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